Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-10-25
WHAT THE PRESS or THE
NATION SAY
RACE SUICIDE.
(Colonist, Victoria.l


startling evidence before the National
lhrthrate Commission now sitting in
London. In his opinion unless a start
ling change happens, the Western
races within two centuries will be
submerged by great new influx from
the East. He doubts the possibility of
appealing to the conscience of the EN-
pire to stamp out race suicide and
hints at the possibility that as a last
resort the state could, directly or in
directly, bring up all children. He is
pessimistic in the extreme. No doubt,
what he has said is based on evidence
he has collected. but some of the con-
cluslons he reaches hardly seem war
ranted. In the first place it is quite
palpable that whatever race suicide is
going on is due to a wave of feeling
that responsibilities should be shirked
This feeiing Is caused by the luxuries
or civilization having come within the
grasp OF ALL 1t is caused, Incidentally,
by the impossibility in so many house
holds of obtaining domestic help. The
consequence is that wives who should
be mothers have to devote their time
10 other domestic duties 1t is caused,
too, by growing selfishness which
Urges people to live thir own lives and
get all they can out of existence with
out burdening themselves with cares
which can be avoided.
The whole trend of modern thought
IN to work less, have more leisure for
amusements, and, consequently, to
nave small families. 1t is state of
mind which may merely mark a phase
of civilization, but which may prove
permanent unless it is possible to APP
peal to the conscience of the people
More than ever, perhaps, this state of
mind has been strengthened through
the sacrifices endured during the war,
but it existed before and it's evidences
hop
Rider Haggard fears is true, and the
Virility of the East is finally to over
whelm the effeteness of the West, then
what We today regard as the most
highly civilized nations will thoroughly
deserve their fate. For peoples who
shirk responsibilities, and there is none
greater than motherhood, there is al
ways reckoning in store which is
hound to come sooner or later. Today
the peoples of the Great Powers, nu-
r.erically in the minority, are seeking
to impose their social will on other ma
tons. However successful they may
appear to be on the surface. it is
doubtful If they can eventually pre-
vail, for where social conditions are
concerned it is doubtful experiment.
The more backward races of the world
are reproducing their species far more
successfully than those who are sup
posed to be civilized, and the civilized
are indulging in race suicide simply
that they may the better enjoy the
pleasures of civilization.
It cannot be contend2d that it is
either social or econoEic conditions
which are responsible for what is hap
pening. Among the civilized peoples
the suffering, even in the lowest strata
OF society, is infinitesimal compared
with what has to be endured in the
most thickly populated countries in the
globe, and those which we regard as
the least civilized. 1t is simply a state
OF mind, caused through luxury hav-
ing spread to all classes, that has
led to the Sinking of responsibilities,
condition which, If persisted in, will
lead to degeneracy in the races at
fected. What we want is a better con-
ception of the gospel of work and of
duty. All that the state can do will
be unavailing unless the people i'm
bibe an old psychology. Least of all
would state control of motherhood, or
of children, or the subsidising of
motherhood, have any tendency to put
an end to race suicide. The national
ization of children is the resort of a
nation lost to all sense of honor and
decency, and is the hall mark of swift
decay The strongest and greatest
safeguard of people is family life.
Until the British Empire and other
countries affected get back to this first
principle of social service there will be
no solution to the problem about which
Sir Rider Haggard is so pessimistic.