The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1909-12-19
EXPERTS REVERSE
7. RS. OPINIONS
They State in Official Report
That Small Families
Are Best.
A GREAT RACE BUILDING
CONCLUSION REACHED THAT
MOST IMMIGRANTS CHANGE
CHARACTERISTICS WHEN THEY
ARRIVE IN AMERICA.


Washington, D. c.. Dec. 1S-That
families grow smaller while the in
dividual members thereof increase in
size as a result Of immigration from
Europe to America is the conclusion
of the immigration commission,
whose report has been submitted to
congress. This reasoning was regard
ed as a blow to the Roosevelt race
suicide theory. The commission finds
that children in small families are
larger, better developed and stronger
than those in large families.
Small Families Best.
The commission has had this and
various related anthropological ques'
tions studied with great care. and it
comes out strongly for the smaller
family, by implication. The inquiry
as to the merits of small and large
families was made in all social strata
and it was found that among the rich
and we'll to do, as well as among the
immigrants and the poor the rule is
equally true; the children OF small
families are larger and better devel-
Oped and seem to be started in the
world with a better capital of consti.
tuition and health than those of large
families.
This is only one of the highly inter
csting things the commission is dis
covering. 1t has conducted in New
York city, long study of the physi'
cal development of the children OF
immigrants, with the remarkable con-
clusion that there is decided ten
ca to immigrants to approximate ntar-
er and nearer to the American type.
Long Heads Grow Short.
This is attributed to the fact that
climatic and social conditions induce
the change. Thus it is declared that
the long headed Sicilians produce chill
dren who are more round headed and
the round headed emigrants from
eastern Europt prouce children that
are more long headed in both cases
the tendency being toward the aver
age American type. This change OF
physical formation is observable i'm
mediately after immigrants come here
ueS.
In the case of one class of immi-
grants. however, it is found that the
change after coming to America is in
the direction of retrogression. This
class inclndes the south Of Italy peO-
pies, who at home are accustomed to
live much out of doors. When they
come to New York and live indoors in
tcnements there is a tendency to de-
velop a poorer type.
American Type Develops.
The commission gives a detailed
study of vast amount of data con
cerning immigrants of other national
tiles and their physical tendencies in
the United States, especially Scotch
llungarians and Bohemians. The gen
eral conclusion which seems warrant
cd by the limited scope of the study
thus far is that distinctive Ameri-
can type is developing in this coun
try which will be different from any
European type and to which all class
es of Americans tend to assimilate
even without consideration of the eff
sects of intermarriage.
The report concludes:
This would indicate the conclusion
that racial, physical characteristics dc
not survive under the new social ant
climatic environment of America. The
adaptability of the various races com
ing together on our shores seems i
these indications shall be fully borne
out in later study to be much greater
than had been anticipated. If the
American environment can brins
about an assimilation Of the heat
not he that other racteristics ma,
be as easily modified and that there
may be rapid assimilation of widel,
varying nationalities and races t.
something that may we'll be calet
an American type?"
To Complete Inquiry.
The commission feels that it is too
early to pronounce absolutely upol
this question. The investigation /:
by no means complete and moreover
considering the Importance of the sub
ject, it should clearly be conducte,
on larger scale and in different sur
roundinss i'm various parts of tn,
country, and perhaps also be check
ed up by certain Investigations mad.
upon the same races elsewhere
Humility.
st. Peter Ito applicantl-What wa