The Washington herald., 1913-08-31
AMERICAN PROBLEMS
OF RACE HYGIENE
A Foreigners Impressions of Our National
Stock" as Affected by Immigrant and
Negro Population.

I tain civic and hygienic demands OF the
country. But the severity of the applica-
ton OF such selective process is automa-
tically tempered by the need of the
country for supplying the scarcity of the
native stock. Especially severe is the
physical, mental and economic examlna-
tlon of immigrants from certain parts OF
Europe either because of an especially
lew cultural level of the applicants or
because OF their especially efficient labor
productiveness which would create a
dangerous competition with native labor.
such restrictive legislation is also prophy-
Tactic in character, excluding. as it does,
certain alleged contagious diseases. So
tlIat in general il may be said that such
legislation quite effectively meets this
object Of preventing the immigrant eIe
ment from lowering the hygienic level
Of the native stock"
Closely connected with the immigration
problem is that of the negro. Negroes,
like immigrants, DR.. Clerici holds, are
Indispensable as labor machines, and
are likewise more or less undesirable as
elements of manhood" To deal with this
situation, Americans are pursuing a po,-
icy not unlike that followed in the case
of immigrants-"a policy of tolerance
mixed with suppressed hostility This
is evidenced by legislation in the South
IL hGGplHS MulltS anu DldGAS
separate in all stages of life from the
elementary schools to marriage.
This policy of clean-cut separation, ac-
cording to DR.. Clerici received the I'M
official approval of the majority of the
European hygienists who attended the
International Congress of Hygiene in
Washington. Their opinion seemed based
on an alleged inferiOrity of brain ca
pacity deduced in part on the alleged
failure of most efforts in the last ten
years TO improve the mentality OF the
negro. But granting that the negro race
is susceptible to a slow improvement,
the author concludes that its present
moral and intellectual level is so far be-
low that of the native white that racial
admixture would result in the deteriora-
ton of the white element
Lastly, he briefly examines the legis-
lation of some of our States for the ster-
ilization of certain criminals and the
feebleminded, and the provisions against
the marriage of persons affected with
certain diseases. While approving of the
latter, he doubts the value of the for
mer, except possibly as a deterrent in
certain small aggregations of population
rather than as a hygienic remedy.
1t is surprising what interest Italians
in Italy are taking in the question of
immigration to our country. The Turk
ish war and the accretion of territorial
empire for a while turned attention
away from the problems of the millions
Of Italian immigrants that constitute an
impressive floating Italian colony. But
Italy again begins to realize that such
a floating colony has more elements of
real empire than Lydia and the TripoIi-
tan coast. Interest is undoubtedly the
strongest as regards her sons in this
country, and it is encouraging to see
at least one italian, who, as DR.. Clerici,
analyses impersonaIIy and with fair in
tent, though perhaps not correctly, some
Of the problems of the promised land.