The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-24

, of childbirth. There is no do,A.
he says, that the conditions =.
present-day civilization have in ~ "
last few generations serjonsis
weakened the physique of the y1ct re-
ern civilized woman" Tor ''- w.
thing, both her willingness e
ability 10 nurse her children L-
decreased very considerahIv
unquestioned DISADVANTAGE 10 ~
offspring, as it has been found a
cording to a medical autborit-
quoted by Holmes, that "breasf-fsg
children are superior in later H.
to those artificially fed, in yeigbt
character of teeth, intelligence saS
general physical development"
Only a few years ago, the msio-
ity of girls of American upDer-rni5
dle-class families OF refinement an
education were not dashing man.
around in the industrial worIj
They stayed home and married ana
had babies and did very little aIso
1t was doubtless less exciting tbsn
directing a personal department of
large industrial concern or sell
ing bonds, but it was. it seems, bet.
ter for the race in general. Tbo
Stay-at-home method at least WAS
more conducive to the reproduction
of superior stock. Now, it is tbe
immigrant woman who remains A.
home and has the babies and nurses
them into superior health and en-
during vigor.
RanrOduCiDp Sfuniditv
Thus, if you follow Professor
Holmes argument to its Logical
conclusions, you reach the pleasant
prospect of a race ultimately re-
duced to the general level Of intel
ligence of Little Italy. OF course
the whole argument will strike Won
as distinctly absurd unless you be-
lieve in the generally accepted the
DRY that mental ability is heredi-
tary.
Still" declared one college girI
in discussing her share of respon-
sibility in speeding the race to its
doom, 81 don't see what we are 60
ing to do about it You can't lean
into matrimony as easily as you
can into a job, and it seldom pavs
as we'll. This is a day Of money
making and quick profits, and
there's no money-making or quick
profit in having babies. Perhaps il
the race would only pay US for hav-
ing good, strong, healthy, bright
children as well as it pays US for
facilitating its business, we might
get really interested and do our
4 -
the day will come when the stats
will recognize motherhood as a val
liable service and remunerate It ac-
cordingIy-make it worth while
Another college girl believes that
the modern woman would take
more interest in matrimOny and
motherhood if there were only a
greater preponderance Of intelli-
gent males.
Il firmly believe" she says, shat
the average college woman is per
fectly willing to marry and have
children. The trouble is-whOm is
she to marry? Her mentality has
been developed, and she is no long
err content to spend her life with a
man who has no interest beyond
the stock market or the latest mu-
steal comedy. The college girl is
taught to think, to take an interest
in politics and economics, drama
and art; and what companiORship
can she find in the average man
whose ideas on labor are. If they
did little work they wouldn't have
so much TO grOwl at. BolsheTiks
all of them Or on politics: We
should worry eabout Europe. We
have enough troubles Of our own,
A man who finds a symphony
bore and to whom the theatre means
merely Ed Wynn or Al JOlson
What wonder that the college WON
an finds more congeuial compan-
ionship in her own sex and prefers
TO make her own living rather than
to marry man she cannot respect
professor Holmes should d.
vide his responsibility for the trend
of the race. He should not place
it all on the new woman, but hand
half of it to the old man