Evening star., 1914-01-23
VIRGINIA.
WHAT EUGENIsTs SEEK
By HERBERT COREY.
No. 4.

We are dying on TOO slowly
| In fifty years the population Of Europe
and the United States will be ZOO. .0OO, 900.
Then there will be perdition to pay and
no pitch hot.
| That is an uncouth way OF phrasing
| the more polite statement of Frederick
| L. Hoffman, the statistician. He holds
that:
THE most important result Of a de-
cining death rate Is an accelerated
growth in population, foreshadowing most
serious economic and political problems.
Most eugenists are solely concerned
with the quality OF the coming race
Hoffman cares mostly ABOUT its guam
tity. He does not agree with the con-
clusions Of many other leading eugenists
that the human race Is dying out like a
toad under bell glass.
Increased Birth Rate Means Trouble.
On the other hand, he finds that it is
increasing over the world at an aver
age rate Of ~ per 1000. This Is due to
| a decline in the death rate. which more
| than offsets the observed decrease In the
birth rate. This, Hoffman SAYS means
| trouble, spelled billboard style.
The worlds debt now amounts to $42-
O00, ,000, 900, and the annual administrative
| expenditures of the civilized countries ap-
proximates 1,50O 100000. OF this an.
on the quoted debt. Not only are the fu-
ture generations heavily handicapped to
pay the cost of our fun. but the cost of
government Is going up 1t now costs
in an average city Of $1,000 population
or more. An increasing population means
a disproportionate increase for sanitary
improvements. etc. No wonder Hoffman
says:
Government Efficiency Necessary.
In any question OF race Improvement
it is of the utmost Importance that our
government be made more efficient
It's up to the next generation to dis
cover whether efficient government can
be furnished at cheaper rate In large
lots Experiments along this line have
been started in something like 300 Ameri-
can towns and cities. which are working
with variations on the time-accepted form
| of municipal government So far as we
are concerned. the outlook seems by CON-
| parison bright.
| Hoffman says that in fifty years the
population Of the United States will be
! only 20O,0O00O0. resulting in density OF
sixty-seven persons per square mile
| the German empire. And the persons
who are complaining most bitterly about
conditions in the German empire are its
trade rivals.
Yellow Peril Bogy.
The yellow peril bogy pops up when
ever an increase in the worlds popula-
ton is discussed. HOFFMAN isn't worry.
ing about that-yet. At present the civil
lized rate of increase is 9.3 per 1000
against So per 1000 among the tinted
races. OF course. as soon as sewers an6
serums and district nurses become preva
lent among the uncivilized somethipl
may happen.
A more pressing care will be given our
old men and women. Hoffman points ou
that "a larger proportion Of persons art
surviving to the economically non-pro-
ductive period of life" When this world
affords less elbow room, the young folks
will be kept buster taking care of them
selves Hoffman suggests the more in
telligent utilization of old age.
Food Problem More Difficult.
And there are other red lights he sees
ahead on the road OF the worlds prog
ress. He suggests that unless we more
carefully conserve the food-producing re-
sources OF land and sea, prevent waste
and educate our young In domestic econ
omy and the problems OF nutrition rather
than in useless things which are at once
forgotten, too many of 196Vs billion may
habitually dine on belt holes.
The food problem is made more diff
cult by the fact that cities are growing
| at IS per cent rate. as compared to II
| per cent for rural districts and that ir
the last decade the acreage OF American
farms has increased per cent and theii
value lis per cent