New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-09
1.-THE NEW REPUBLIC"
With Issues as old at Least as
Plato"


ing volume OF his anticipat.ons of the future
state Of society. and ne continues the same
subject. with some suggestions. exhortations.
to the manner in which the crowning race
OF humankind" is TO be brought forth. OF the
Importance Of the matter and, indeed. OF the
wisdom OF some OF Mr.. Wells's criticisms and
proposals there can be no question We have
ourselves frequently commented upon the worse
than tatuous lack Of that IS manifested in
the breedrg-if may the word-of the
human race Less attention is bestowed upon
platos two-legged animal without feathers
than upon the feathered bipeds of the poultry
yard. not 70 mention the ouadrupeds of the
stable and pasture The atrabiia-ious laureate
permitted the clownsh husband TO hold
his wife something better than his dog little
dearer thar his horse" But how about his chill
dren, compared with his puppies and his colts2
with Mr.. Weiss general proposition then. that
the human race ought to be bred to higher
standard in hearty sympathy
The rub comes when We reach the considers
.io1 OF details Of ways and means For If this
Is the most important problem in the world it
is also one of the nost difficult Mr.. Wells be-
gins his book with 1Ee remark that I'VE are
coming TO realize that the world is great and
complex. beyond the utmost power OF such
minds as ours" Can 1t be possible that he has
only just made that startling discovery? We
feel quite confident that we have met with re-
marks to the same effect. made long ago. Our
impression IS that centuries before the Chris
tian era men were profoundly impressed with
the vastness AID completely of the world. and
of the problems OF human existence. One of
those upon whom that impression was most
profound. and who discussed some phases Of
men. came to the conclusion that there was
nothing under the sun whence we assume
that at least three thousand years ago men had
already realized what MI Wells is now coping
10 realize" Let us. at any rate. be thankful
that men are not coming 10 lose that realization.
but that every day of life drives that convic-
ton further home" Seeing that the driving
process was begun before the time Of Solomon,
and has been maintained steadily ever since, We
must assume that by this time it is pretty near
~ home Another year two. with another
book or two OF Mr.. Wells's, ought to finish the
Job.
Another interesting. not TO say momentous.
discovery made by our author is that mo reig
ion prescribes rules that can be Immediately
applied TO every eventuality." Mahometanism.
for example while it explicitly forbids the drink
ing of wine, sadly neglects TO prescribe the
proper rate of speed for automobiles. Religion
gives US. doubt. a directing but not a con-
elusive light. 1t leaves US inconsistent and
uncertain amidst these unavoidable problems"
Quite true. We have observed the same unhappy
incompleteness in various other institutions.
The Constitution of the United States, for
ample with much precision declares that Con-
gross. and not any State, shall have power to
issue letters of marque, but says not a word
about transit facilities on the Brooklyn Bridge;
and there are a million people who would not
know a letter Of marque from sou marquee.
but who are directly and intensely interested
in transporting travel Nor indeed. does Mr..
Wells find political parties any better than
ligious denominations. He sees political parties
based upon protection and upon free trade. upon
distributed autonomy and upon centralized
power. hut he knows there is not in Great Brit
ain. and he understands there is not in the
United States, any party based upon the mani
fest trend and purpose of life as it appears in
the modern view" In this he is proJably quite
right We cannot recall the existence of any
considerable party dedicated to the proposition
that parents should take good care of their chill
dren, nor do remember that any man has
ever for the Presidency upon a platform of
either advocacy of or opposition to baby farm
ing. After he has got the conviction Of life's
completely fully driven home Mr.. Wells will
probably come 10 realize that the existence of
one political party presupposes the existence of
another and opposing party, that therefore par
ties are usually based upon controversial issues
that there some matters which simply can
not be made subjects Of controversy. and that
therefore, there are some that cannot be made
the basis Of political parties. When he does real
ize that fact ne may perhaps not so vehement
ly denounce existing party ia brics as dead rot
ting things" and their issues as personal jeal-
ousies. old grudges family curses. Judas be-
trayals." Non omnes morIamur; no. not even
though Mr.. Wells regards us maintaining
only ''saprophytic vitality"
We quite sure. either, that we are pre-
pared join with Mr.. Wells in declaring that
tie whole literature the world produced until
The nineteenth century had well progressed
was lacking IN any definite and pervading
sense Of the cardinal Importance in the world
C this central reproductive aspect OF births
and OF the training and preparation for future
births" It is. we believe. quite true that Homer
did not write treatise upon this subject and
that Dante'3 best work was not exclusively de-
voted 20 siirpicultUre. Nevertheless, we cannot
concc6e thar ali men a hundred years and more
ego were entirely regardless of the necessities
upon which Mr.. Wells expatiates with so much
naivete and ca-nestHess. We are rot sure that
either Moses or Zoroaster or Confucius alto
sether neglected them, and we can vaguely re-
call some hints at appreciation OF them IN Aris-
totle and in old Lucretius. We nave q notion
that both Athens and Sparta devoted some prac-
human race. and had results to show for it; and
IL