The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-25
Race Of Great Men Can Be Bred
In 200 Years, Says Scientist
Casper L. Red6eld Urging Late Marriages, Says Eminent
Men Can Be Produced Systematicaly-Prof Johnson
Would Encourage Early Mating of Superior Persons.
By RALPH w. BENTON.

By RALPH w. BENTON.
The fcud between eugenics experts as
to whether persons should marry early
OF late in life and as to whether the
offspring of old parents is superior in
teIlectually to the children of younger
ones has been famed to white heat by
the utterances Of Casper L. Redfield, of
Chicago. who last week addressed the
International Purity Conference, in ses-
sion at San Francisco.
Mr.. Redfield who is the recognized
leader of one faction of scientists, holds
to the view that the marriage of young
persons should be avoided. He maintains
that rapid breeding inevitably leads to
the production of inferior stock. no mat
ter what the original stock may be.
Mr.. Redfield believes that eminent men
can be bred Just like fine specimens of
cattle He thinks it is possible to take
very inferior human stock and develop
it by careful breeding into eminent men.
and all in less than 200 years. He says
slow breeding is an essential to the pro-
duction of superior stock. and when
properly used, inferior stock can be
transformed into superior stock in about
a single century. The breeding of real
eminence requires an additional century.
Mr. Redfield has constructed a chart
which shows graphically the chances any
given individual has of becoming emil
nent. To understand his table 1t is
necessary to get the Specification Of the
term "birthrank.' Mr.. Redfield uses
this word to express mans inheritance
when measured by the age of his father
at the time the son was born. 1t is
determined by taking the difference be-
tween the dates of the birth of father
and son After a study of the births
Of 1850 children made from the gen
ealosies of New England families of the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, he
has reached the conclusion that eminent
men are not produced in the same way
that ordinary men are produced. He
finds that there is in their pedigrees a
shortage of young fathers and an excess
of old ones. a fact which shows that
they are produced by breeding which is
much slower than the normal rate.
Old Mems Sons Superior.
One of the things, says Mr.. Red
field. found in making up the list OF
eminent men is that when there are
several closely related men of emf
hence, a study reveals either a COM
mon ancestor with a high birthrank,
or a common ancestor who produced
several children in his old age. The
potent progenitor, in his opinion. is
the son or daughter of an old sire
The same. he finds, is true of horses.
Referring to his chart. Mr.. Redfield
says that the chances of man be-
coming eminent increase with the age
of the father. Comparing groups of
men of different birthranks with each
other, he finds that the difference in
chances of becoming eminent is due
to differences in degrees of intelli-
gence. and that the sons of old men
are mentally superior to the sons or
young men.
If the chance of the son of a man
of "a becoming eminent is regarded
as unity, i. e.. l. the following are
the chances of offspring of fathers of
the following ages: % to 90, 2.35; 80
to 81. 3.55: IS to SO. SAB; 40 to A. Sal:
As to 40. 1857; so to 81. 1852; 55 to
SO. 1914; and over CO. 5l.56.
Mr. Redhelds theory is essentially
this: As any organ of the body, or
the body as a whole, or the mind, is
used or exercised there results in some
manner not made clear physiologically
IAN accumulation of energy in the germ
cells with respect to the organ or
function exercised. This accumulation
of energy is then supposed to be
transmitted to the next generation.
again by some process not made clear
physiologically. but according to def
mite. rules. The practical moral for
the breeder is that in breeding for
performances of any sort 1t is wise
to use as breeders individuals who
have been developed and who hence
have stored energy. Consequently IT
follows that the parents of great per-
formers are likely to be found among
relatively aged animals Mr.. Redfield
saws with a sense of satisfaction that
he has applied his theory to trottifs
horses, setter dogs. Holstein cattle and
human beings. and that IL works all
around.
Biological Leads Opposition.
Roswell Hill johnson. professor OF
biology and geology at 'the University
of Pittsburgh. is the leader of the fac
ton diametrically opposed to the views
of Mr. Redfeld. Prof. Johnson calls at
tention to the fact that inferior stocks
generally marry early and produce
numerous offsprings, while superior
stocks habitually marry late and pro-
duce few offsprinEs. He realizes there
are two ways of remedying the situa-
ton. One is to revise the laws so as
to prevent early marriages. and the
other is to encourage the early mar
rage of those considered superior in
dividuals Prof. johnson advocates the
second method. urging the early mar
rage of superior men and women.
u am more inclined to lean toward
Prof. Johnson's idea" says Paul Pope
noe, editor of the Journal of Heredity.
organ of the American Genetic Associa
ton. published at Sill Eleventh street
northwest Il desire exactly what he
wants-to raise the general level of the
race by a selective birth rate: to get
more children from the eugenically Mt
and fewer from the UNIT. That Is
eugenics."
Prof Johnson wants TO boom early
marriages. provided the mates are Of
superior breeding quality. Mr.. Redfield