The Washington herald., 1915-08-22
Gloomy View of Nations Trend.

\ ndtlon breakdown IS toreShadowcd by in
creasng degeneration in its citizens" writes DR.
Charles W. Burr, professor of mental diseases oi
the University of Pcnnsy ylvania, in the New York
Medical Journal Quite evidently he sees signs OF
degeneracy in the United States today and points
out to Americans where some OF the blame is to
! be placed. He says:
! Frequently the dcgeneratcs themselves. over
rchned. overculturcd, oVcrsensitivc, mistake dis
case for health and interpret as signs of progress
things which really prognoSticatc racial death
The more intelligent and softer bred among them
mistake running around in a circle, making a great
NOISE and preaching altruism for progress and arc
as happy as puppy chasing its tail and thinking
; 1t IS gong to get something when it gets it.
! + We in this country suffer more than some
other parts OF the world from sclf-appointed i'm
provcrS OF the machinery OF the universe, because
every mans opinion is as good another's in a
democracy, and 1netlc1cncy is inevitable when pco-
pie rule because the political and scientific para
| noiacs who seize every opportunity to be at the
front OF every popular movement, and sometimes
for time succeed, always have large following.
We hear too much OF the rights OF people, but too
little OF their duties. We spend untold millions
in money and effort in trying TO remove the
stresses and strains OF Lie; spend relatively
little in training youths to Withstand stress and
strain. We have lost virility and arc becoming
cffcmnzed
Observant and thoughtful readers will recog-
nize a large measure OF truth in what this unver-
sity specialist asserts, though his article offers a
splendid subject for debating society bent
holding a session that would not know dull
moment. Even if it is granted that the Young men
and women OF TODAY show the evil results OF too
much pampering and shielding from stress and
strain, it may not be fair to place all the respon-
sbility the "sclf-appointed improvcrS of the
machinery OF the universe" Some thinking per-
will be disposed to view the ovcrrchncment
and ovcrscnsitiveness as developments of too much
vhic, he tbe
OF the present century, leading to dangerous
quest of and luxury the part of those who
shared in it, and discomfort and aversion to hard
work on the part of those who rebelled at a less
opulent future. 1t may readily be admitted of
course, that this condition gave impetus to the
activities OF those preachers about the rights OF
the people against their duties, who proceeded
do their full share in accelcrating the decline OF
virty.
On the whole however. there arc reasons for
hope that Dr. BurrS alarm comes after the de-
terioration has been arrested by changed condi- !
tions and when its victims are slowly beginning |
to recover their strength in response to the de-
mands OF necessity
1t may be doubted whether the condition which |
DR.. Burr views gloomily ever enveloped more |
than fraction of territory. The larger cities ,
principally have confined the shielded pampered |
and tired exquisite, of tastes running to ribbons,
cffcminatc hosiery and nail polish. In the small
towns and in the country the great bulk OF the
population has always had enough to do in earning
It's way to save it from deterioration and loss of
virility. So that while brief period of too much
money and ease may have left its blighting effect
upon a portion of the present generation OF an
age that was most susceptible during its preva-
encc, a younger America that has grown up and
IS growing up in less prosperous times and more
heathful environment may be depended upon to
redeem the race and to il, for time at least,
from the extinction at least the breakdown,
which Dr. Burr seems to foresee for it The coun-
ry has had generous dose of the antidote for
opulence and luxury, and the outlook docs not
disclose any certainty that the course of treatment
las been ended