The Washington times., 1914-06-26
Aims at :Eugenic Conscience
Through Teaching Children
Society, Headed by David Starr
Jordan, to Carry Teachings
of Race Improvement Into
Schools.

our program. By that process the
detectives would be gradually elm
mated. But the good stock would
be made no better. 1t Is this lat
ter and more difficult task at which
eugenics Is directed
One of the most widespread mis-
apprehensions is the belief that the
birth rate has declined because Of
later marriages. Mr.. Popinoe stated.
Instead Of marrying later In life.
statistics show that Americans Of
the better classes are marrying at
an earlier age. in the average, than
ever before. So that the. decrease
in child birth must arise from
other causes.
Large Families Best.
Although this new science of eu-
genics is not sure of its ground on
many POINTS. all the evidence at
hand points to large farilies AZ Gu
senically correct in principle.
''One of the most comprehensive
studies made Of the relation Of lon
gevity to the age of parents at the
time of the child's birth Is that just
completed by Er. Alexander Graham
Bell" Mr.. Popinoe said. He studied
5,GC persons. through genealogtes
known to be accurate, and his f1nd-
ings lead US to this conclusions: that
children born Of parents in middle
age, even IL parents and other an
cestors are OF long-lived stock. are
short lived.
.On the other hand 1t has been
found that children OF very young
Parents are not SO intelligent az those
born OF older parents. Casper Rcd
field. of Chicago, has studied between
1000 and 1900 cases Of great men.
and his findings show large pro-
portion of thesc we're born coTpara-
lively late in the life of their parents.
Then there is another interesting
line Of inquiry now being pursued.
This investigation is to discover whe-
ther the first-born son Is inferior.
Tentative findings lead US to believe
this is the case, particularly in re-
gard to his physique. II this theory
Is found to be true upon further in
vestigation. It will disclose one Of
the most striking dangers of small
families. This explanation has been
offered as a reason for the deca-
dence OF the British peeragc."
Defects Are Inherited.
Many Of the diseases long suppos-
ed to be hereditary have been found
to have no hereditary origin. eugen-
lists assert. This is trus particularly
of tuberculosis and of cancer. On the
other hand. it has been found that
alcohol does play prominent part
In heredity, even to the second and
third generations.
"Eugenics will teach a young man
that, when he marries a girl who
may be perfectly innocent Of alco-
holic' indulgence, but whose father
or grandfather was addicted to stim-
ulants. that the traces of that in
dulgence are likely to crop out in
that girls children.
''Of course. it already Is pretty
generally known that the offspring
of the feeble-minded are sure to in
herit this defect. There is not so
much danger there. because a young
man Is not likely to marry a feeble
minded woman But he may not be
on his guard in the case of a girl
who is one of the sound offspring Of
a so-called mixed marriage. that Of
feeble-minded parent to one of
sound mind. And in that case the
offspring of the union of the two ap-
sound persons may show the
trace of the girls family taint.
Persons suffering from nervous
ailments also should realize that
their weakness will be transmitted
to their children, though ii may dis
play itself In a different form from
that of the parent A neurasthenic
parent may have a child in which
the parental weakness Is disclosed
in suicidal mania, or in alcoholism,
or in insanity. or in the other man.
OF a weak, nervous sys-
TEN.
To Work Through Schools.
Much OF the research work of ,eu-
genists may not be of immediate
practical benefit. For example, 1t
might be interesting. but not parti-
cularly important. for a young man
TO know that twin-bearing is heredi-
tary.
What We hope to present to the
high schools. and the doctrine we
hope to spread to the young of the
country. Is that the mating of per-
sons from good stocks produces off,
spring of a high physical and In
tellectual order. This is the lew
OF plant life. and Of the animal
world, and it applies to the higher
as forcibly.'