South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-31

climates must work much harder
than men living in warm climates.
This extra work Is both mental and
physical, and the result OF such
work Is a corresponding develop
ment OF mental and physical pow
ers. At the time Of reproducing,
the man Of the north is somewhat
more developed than his brother TO
the south, and their sons inherit the
difference. This is repeated genera
ton after generation until small Diff
ferences grow to be great differences.
Then, when there comes a clash OF
arms, the southern man falls before
the man of the north.
Warlike tribes and warlike nations
have always been noted as being
superior, mentally and physically, to
their more peaceful neighbors.
Why? Looking at the matter close
ly we can see that IL is for the same
reason as that before given. A
tribe or nation which spends much
time I'm the practice Of war must
necessa rily do much mental and
physical work which would other
wise be undone. This extra work
causes extra mental and physical de-
velopment, and children coming
from such developed persons have
better power inheritances.
Where war spirit and war prep
arations become a part Of national
existence, as I'm Sparta, Rome and
modern Germany. another factor en-
ters into the matter. The soldier is
trained when young and is not per-
mitted to marry at as early an age
as his ancestors married. AS a re-
suit. there is a rise in the average
age at which parents produce their
children, and the status Of any
tribe or race OF people is deter
mined by that average. The low
est tribes are those which reproduce
at the lowest average age. and the
highest are those which reproduce
at the highest average age. This is
OF course. modified by the degree of
activity. Each increase In mental
and physical activity on the part Of
parents causes a corresponding in
crease in the inherited capabilities
of the offspring, even when there is
no increase in the age Of the pa
rent at time of reproducing.
Wars have caused the death of
many of the best men of the nations
at war, and the men so killed have
been eliminated from the general
stock. Yet II is a plain fact that
those tribes, races and nations which
have lost the greatest numbers of
their best men, yet not enough to
cause determination. are the tribes
races and nations which have al
vanced most rapidly from a low to
a high stage. The explanation is
simple but il is not that of the
eugenist doctrine. Good men were
killed, but the extra efforts caused
by warfare gave 10 the survivors an
extra development which more than
balanced what was lost by deaths
The next generation was produced
by these survivors and inherited
their acquired development.
War is and always has been a de-
structive agent, but the prepare
tons for war and the activities grow
ing out of war have been a con-
structive agent. We learned this
first fact from war itself. but the
second fact we learn from other
sources. Now that we know what
it is that brings about progress, we
can have that progress without any
Of the disadvantages of war One Of
the first things to do is to shut off
marriage by minors so that we will
not be producing inferior stock by
undeveloped parents. Another
thing to do is TO introduce more
physical training into our schools SO
as to check a growing tendency to-
ward physical degeneracy.