The San Francisco call., 1909-08-21
SCIENCE CALLS
FOR PURE RACE
Marriage of Caucasians and
japanese Condemned by
Herbert Spencer

(HICAGO professors. susceptible
Larkspur maidens and sentimental
settlement workers who are pro-
ponents of miscegenation with the
Japanese should get what comfort they
can out of the opinion of Herbert
Spencer. His conclusions ON the sub
ject were summed up in a letter to an
official of the japanese government In
1892. The letter was first published
after Spencer's death by the London
Times In 1904 and later was inserted
by Lafcadi0 Hearn in his book,
'Japan; an Attempt at an Interpreta-
tion." 1t may be doubted whether any
Chicago professor has yet outclassed
Spencer ns authority ON biology.
Extracts from the letter have been
quoted occasionally, but that part
which deals with the mixture of Cau-
casiaas with Asiatics Is herewith given
I'm full. 1t was addressed to Baron
kaneiSo kentaro, who had asked
Spencer's advice ON the subject under
discussion. Spencer wrote as follows:
To your question respecting the in
termarriage of foreigners and Japan
ese, which you say is now very much
agitated among our scholars and poll
ticians." and which you say is "one
of the most difficult problems, my
reply is that, as nationally answered
there is no difficulty at ALL 1t should
be positively forbidden. 1t iss not at
root question of social philosophy
1t Is at root a question of biology.
There is abundant proof. alike fur
nished by the intermarriages of hu-
man races and by the interbreeding
of animals. that where the varieties
mingled diverge beyond a certain
slight degree the result is inevitably a
bad one in the long run.
have myself been in the habit OF
looking at the evidence bearing on
this matter for many years past and
my conviction is based on numerous
facts derived from numerous sources
This conviction l have within the
last half hour verified, for 1 happen
to be staying in the country with
gentleman who is well known and has
had much experience respecting the
interbreeding of cattle, and he has
just, on inquiry, fully confirmed my
belief that when, say of the different
varieties of sheep, there is an inter
breeding OF those which are widely
unlike, the result especially in the
second generation, IS bad one-there
arise an incalculable mixture of traits
and what may be called a chaotic con-
stitution.
And the same thing happens among
human beings-the Eurasians in In
dia, the halfbreeds in America, show
this. The physiological basis of this
experience appears to be that any one
variety of creature in course of many
generations acquires a certain consti-
tutional adaptation to its particular
form of life and every other variety
similarly acquires its own special
adaptation. The consequence is that
il you mix the constitution of two
widely divergent varieties which have
severally become adapted to widely di-
vergent modes of life, you get a con-
stitution which is adapted to the mode
of life of neither--a constitution which
will not work properly. because 1t is
not fitted for, any set OF conditions
whatever. By all means, therefore,
peremptorily interdict marriages of
Japanese with foreigners.
/ have for the reasons Indicated en-
tirely approved of the regulations
which have been established in Amer
lea for restraining the Chinese immi-
grafton, and had 1 the power 1 would
restrict them to the smallest possible
amount. my reasons for this decision
being that one of two things must
happen. II the Chinese are allowed to
settle extensively in America they
must either. if they remain unmixed,
form a subject race standing in the
position, If not of slaves. yet of a class
approaching to slaves; or If they mix
they must form a bad hybrid. In either
case, supposing the immigration to be
large. immense social mischief must
arise, and eventually social disorgani-
zation. The same thing will happen If
there should be any considerable mix
ture of European or American races
with the Japanese.