The sun., 1918-09-08
By PROF. FRANCO SAvORcNAN
of the University of Cagliari.


TT is generally recognized that the
Il gravest evil for European civiliza-
ton and possibly the most difficult to re-
pair which arises out of the present con-
fict consists in the destruction of millions
Of human lives. The war has gone on
with the destruction of masses of men be-
longing almost exclusively to that white
race which constitutes, intellectually, the
most advanced element of human kind.
And as a consequence it eliminates pre-
cisely the individuals who are best en-
dowed physically and intellectually.
Energy and patriotism, strength and
courage do not result, in the battles Of
our day, in the survival of the fittest
To these immediate losses, WHICH weigh
heavily upon the male population at the
age when it has attained the maximum Of
physical resistance and economic produc-
tivity, must be added the unfavorable eff
fects which this war holds for the demo-
graphic future Of peoples. While the
struggle is going on mortality is on the
increase everywhere, especially the NOR
tality among children, and there is de-
crease in births.
Reproduced by Poorer Elements.
The inevitable result Of every great
war is, as has been observed, to deter
mine in the years which come after it
reduction in the number of marriages and
births among the most select types, whose
descendants will as consequence be far
fewer, while the population will continue
to reproduce itself and perpetuate itself
chiefly by the inferior elements in the
race.
In the presence of the immensely of this
carnage, which has no parallel in all his
tory. and of the pernieious consequences
which may be foreseen for the popula-
ton, both now and later, and for the eco
nomic power of States, many persons ask
if Europe, which erstwhile taught civiNa-
ton to all the world, is not on the point Of
falling back into barbarism, being trans
formed into desert sown with ruins. To
this vision of the pessimists the optimists
oppose the picture of a Europe which,
rapidly renewed by an enduring peace,
will triumphantly resume, thanks to new,
far seeing measures, its upward march.
Without trying to look too far ahead,
we limit ourselves to stating the immedi-
ate effects upon the Topographic condi.
ton of the peoples of Europe. 1t will be
useful to state, however, that the after
war problem for the population will Ger
tainly not have uniform aspect in all
the States, but will, on the contrary,
present itself with different exigencies, ac-
cording to the Topographic and economic
condition, the genetic capacity and pro-
ductjve energy, the varying intensities of
the compOnents of the movement of popu-
lation anterior to the war, and, finally, ac:
cording TO the number of lives and value
of wealth which shall have been destroyed
How Destruction Is Remedied.
Before taking up the more detailed re-
searches upon the subject Of the problem
of population after the war may we be
permitted to examine the real value OF
two theses often cited to support the idea
that nature herself, so to say in virtue OF
a law of compensation, finds way tc
remedy the destruction of lives caused b,
war.
The first consists in saying that after
the war the birth rate shows an increase
and the death rate diminishes, SO that thu
population soon reaches the point attained
prior to the war.
The second thesis, which is based upol
the same principle of kind of natura
rationalism, admits that after the wa
the number Of male births increases, tn
equilibrium of the sexes being quickl,
restored. But in favor of this thesis al
certain indications are lacking and it reall!
appears to be without foundation, TO
neither the war of 1856 nor that OF 1917