Evening journal., 1905-01-19
PhysIeaI peaeneratIon Of Raees.

From the New Orleans Picayune.
The inhabitants OF the British Isles
have proved themselves TO be the
foremostSpeople IN the modern world
They have accomplished more and
greater conquests, and have spread
their civilization and institutions
among more peoples and upon WIDER
spread and more extensive parts Of
the earth than all the other nation-
alities together, with the single ex-
ception Of the Spaniards.
But a time comes when every race
and every nation that has played a
great part in the conquests OF nations
at leat reaches It's own period Of de-
cay, and finally drops out of the ranks
Of great powers. After Rome came
Spain The Spaniards discovered and
colonized the greatest part OF the
Western Hemisphere, and made im-
portant conquests in the old World.
They have passed out of the list OF
ruling people. and they were followed
/ by the British. who appear to have
reached the elimination of their power
and possibly have started on the down
grade
A most serious complaint Is that
already the British race is rapidly
ldegeneratlng, and that the men are
not physically what they once were,
and are no longer able to keep up to
the mark Of the arduous exertions
land responsibilities which their posi-
tion as a ruling race imposes on them.
A writer In the current number Of
the Forum Quarterly treats the sub
iect from physical data. Il appears
] Ia a.aHN 10
Beers I'm South Africa Il was found
that great numbers Of recruits Of
fered Cor military service were pro-
lnounoed unfit IN Manchester, out
OF 10000 would-be recruits. 5000 were
rejected as virtually invalids, and only
! / zoo could be regarded as ft I'm all
respects. Happening, too, at time
when the standard OF requirement was
the lowest since the battle Of Water
loo, aud when the country was en-
gagged In a serious war. these state-
ments aroused public attention. When
General Sir Frederick Maurice de-
clared that, according TO the best
evidence he could obtain, Il was the
fact that for many years out Of every
FIVE recruits only two were found
physically 1T after two years service,
the Government appointed depart
mental committee to inquire into the
whole subject Of physical deteriora-
tion among the masses. II WAS, in
deed, startling fact that so per cent.
OF the men offering themselves for
active service we're physically unit.
IL was shown that out of 52,022
laborers, husbandmen, and servants
who offered themselves, 15025 were
rejected, or 2ss per thousand. out OF
1871 manufacturing artisans 300 per
thousand were found physically un-
Mt; and, worst Of all, I'm the occupations
most favorable to physical develop
ment, such as smiths, masons, and
carpenters, 200 per thousand were set
aside by the medical examiners. The
highest percentage Of reflections was
reached in the case Of clerks and shop
men desirous Of joining the eolors,
S06.S9 per thousand being the number
Now what was the standard set up2
Height, feet inches chest measure-
ment 33 1-2 inchesi During the ten
years 1S93-1902 as many as 67a7e3
recruits were medically examined. OF
these 234.0i4 were rejected at once.
5.s49 after three months, and l4,259
after less than two years service.
These are facts which are not dis
lputed. The problem is to find out
the cause Of this apparent decay Of
that has held the mastery since the
that has held the mastery slice the
days Of Rome, The medical men and
the scientists generally have heen
seeking for the physical causes, and
they fnd them in the inferior or in
SUFFICIENT food used by the masses. II
was found that the same sort or