The Washington times., 1913-11-15
MRS. J. H. HAMMOND
PRAISES EUGEN|CS
Declares 0ne-HaIf of Funerals
of Babies Are Assured At
/ Time of Their Birth.
Continued from First Page.)

tCOnCnueQ from First Page.)
week, and the first month to mini
mum"
Mrs. Hammond's discussion followed
the reading by. the secretary of an alb
stract of an address written by Prof
Charles b. Davenport, Long Island, n
T.. who was unable TO be present.
Education in practical eugenics
boy must be taught quite as explicitly
as the girl the spiritual significance OF
marriage and the sacredness OF the
family san institution OF society"
Thus was the attitude of the baby
specialists toward the Sex question ex-
pressed BY DR.. Evangeline Young, of the
The boy must be taught the false
ness Of the double standard she said.
DIR. III. Z. Jordon. University of Vir-
glnia, Charlottesville, who was in
charge of the section, explained the
relations of eugenics to infant conser-
walton, which seem theoretically op-
posed.
The aim of the association" he de-
clared, sis to save every baby. The
attainment of this end will necessarily
preserve some who are eugenically un-
Aims Do Not Conflict.
Theoretically, from the standpoint of
racial welfare certain small amount
" of diferential infant mortality is de-
sirable. But practically it is perhaps
impossible to tell in early infancy who
10 fit and who unit. Moreover, unfav-
oTable environrlental conditions may
lIiH the potentially strong as readily as
the weak baby. No discriminating pro-
cedure is therefore allowable.
Are the aims of eugenics and infant
conservation then in conflict? Theoreti-
cally, 10 some extent, they are; practi-
cally they are not Any selective pro-
cedure must be applied before mar
riage.-
"The genetically seriously deficient
should be discouraged or prevented from
. having offspring; the well-endowed
should be encouraged"
Every child born into the world must
be saved if possible, but if oscially very
unfit it should be denied the right OF
progeny.
Two first steps seem clear: % Uni
versal infant salvage; the realization of
the fact that the possibility is thus af-
feTed for one unit stock TO perpetuate
its inferior type. ca Negative eugenics
, or prevention of reproduction on the
part of the grossly and obviously unfit
Too Small a Basis.
Positive eugenics rests perhaps as
yet upon too small a basis of scientific
facts-ard leads into too wide and
complicated maze OF economic, civic
and related considerations-to warrant
for the present any very clear and def
mite statement as. TO principles Of ac-
ton" sa..
Mgr. Russell was accorded permission
TO explain the attitude of the Roman
Catholic Church toward eugenics.
Other speakers at the eugenic section
were DR.. Henry ]. Nichols. captain
I. Marshall. University of Virginia,
who discussed tuberculosis with refer
ence to infant mortality.
A roundtable conference of the nurs-
ssa-- aial nlI
at Il O'Clock, in charge of Miss Minnie
II. Ahrens, superintendent of nurses,
Infant Welfare Society. Chicago.
Reports OF affiliated societies, If3 in
number, were submitted at the opening
session. These welfare associations, are
located in practically every State in the
Union, and the reports indicated that
the growth Of the baby work within the
last year has taken great stride.
The following directors whose terms
have expired were reelected for a term
OF five years:
DIR. wilmer r Bait, Harrisburg; Dr.
John S. Fulton, Baltimore; DR.. Hastings
II. Hart, New York; Prof. c. R. Hen
derson, Chicago: Miss Zoe La Fargo,
Detroit; Austin McLanahan, Baltimore;
DR.. Joseph S. Neff, Philadelphia; Prof.
NJ. Adelaide Nutting, Columbia Univer-
sity. New York; Mrs. William Lowell
Putnam, Boston; DR.. Herman Schwarz.
New York; DR.. Lillian Welsh. Baiti-
ton
The following additional directors
were elected:
Dr.. William C. Woodward, Washing
ton; DR.. Gavin S. Fulton, Louisville:
Dr. n. J.. Rosenau, Boston: DIR. ]. w.
JIerr. Washington; Miss Ellen c. Bah
bitt, New York; Miss N. C. Gardner.
Providence. r. J.; Dr.. II. ]. Bowditch,
Boston: DR.. S. S. Adams, Washington.
II was decided to hold the next con-
veution in Boston in November 1914 Of
fcers for 1915 will be e'ected late this
afternoon. the executives being chosen
a year ahead. DR.. J. Whitridge Will
Iiams, Baltimore, becomes president for
1914. having been elected in Cleveland
year ago.
The obstetrics section this afternoon
will be in charge Of DIR. Mary Sher-
wood of Baltimore, chairman. and Dr.
James Lincoln Huntington, Boston, sec
retary. Speakers for this section are
DR.. Henry Schwarz. Washington Uni
versity. st. Louis; DR.. Philip Van In
gen. New York. and Mrs. Max West,
Children's Bureau, Washington, and DR..
J. Whitridge Williams Johns Hopkins
University baltimore.