Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-03-23
later in life.
A0tLI III IIIE.
Pride in Strersth.

Cioi SlISiiSlu ana III commercial re-
lations- She has pride in progress in
the development of all of the affairs
IN which any nation should be inter
ested, such as its manufactures, its
mines and mining, its quarries and
quarrying, its waterways and trans
portatlon facilities; in fact she has
been expert and capable in assemb-
ling all the things and materials from
which we have grown to our present
position as a splendid nation of in
genious people.
We can reasonably claim right to
the title of leader in many of the ma
tional and international affairs and
from the progressive disposition OF
the past we might reasonably contem-
plate perpetuity as a people but with
out scme extra precaution, some spe-
cial effort, instead of continuing
strong and accomplishing race, we will
become so weakened in our physical
forces as to bring ourselves the Ii
ability of early degeneration and de-
cay.
Need of Resistance
To perpetuate the American nation
we must have special resistance
against the inroads of disease and the
liabilities of increasing limitations in
our living accommodations. Our COM
bat with influence showed how in
| capable we are of positive resistance.
Were this not true We would not have
sacrificed nearly 100000 of our citi-
zens through the mortality list of in
fluenza.
Ninety years ago the Hawaiian Is
lands had a population of 1872 900 ma
tives. The race seemed capable of
meeting all of the exigencies of eli
mate and such Affections as they had
| to bear in all of the affairs of their
life, with fair prospect of reasonable
longevity as race. Today they rep
resent a people numbered by q 900
pure Hawaiians and 10000 mixed.
| This is due to the fact that they be-
came the subjects of tuberculosis, We
nereal disease, drug habits, imper-
feet and unfavorabie sanitation and a
total lack of physical upkeep. Be
lieving that the missionary was ca
pable of caring for them they became
Indifferent to the natural actions and
practices of their people. They were
| spoiled by the extension to them of
rights and privileges which they had
never had before, and because they
took no precaution in the maintenance
of their physical manhood, they have
succumbed to the inroads of disease
and today are almost an exterminated
| race.
America today is big and strong
and may well assume to itself the
leadership and protectorate of the
affairs of the world But unless we
are able to maintain a continued re-
sistance, unless we develop some ma
tional system of PHYSICAL maintenance
by which we can improve our longevi-
ty and decrease our mortality, we
will not be able to continue the COM
membership to which we are justly
entitled. In fact we may subject our
selves to the same disastrous conse-
quences hiatt came to HaWaii's popu-
lation.
Cause of T. B.
Men and women resist disease by
the strength of their own physical
capacity. Without physical strength
they yield much more readily to dis
ease Affections. That is why today we
are showing such large percentage
of cases of tuberculosis. With all of
our experience and the observations
we have taken, with all the rules and
regulations of protection so far as in
stituted, the percentage of tubercular
subjects in the United States Of Amer
lea continues about the same. This
would be very different were we more
powerful physically. For these rea-
sons and many others which might
be enumerated, / wish to emphasize
the fact that if America is to remain
in the vanguard of nations, then it is
very important that we establish a
broadcast, universal plan of physical
improvement.
Comparatively America holds fifth
place among the nations of the earth
in physical vigor, and since SIS per
cent of our children do not go be
yond the fifth grade in our public
schools, it is self-evident that if we
are to be in the vanguard of nations,
we must adopt some general, sys-
tematized plan of physical develop
ment, and at the same time bring
about system of education that will
interest and attract our young people
until we have elevated the standard
of mental and productive competence
far beyond its present status.
To Build Leadership
The Department of Welfare now be-
ing arranged for by the present adj
has in mind the creation
Of system that will provide the ways
and means to overcome our present
for if cortnnnlataS in itc