The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-11-07

In the average incidence, Of vens-
real diseases, which is Sc per cent,
the colored race Is an oyer-balancing
factor. From the rate Of admission
to sick report in the Army, colored
men appear to be several times as
apt to be infected as white men.
"Just those states with the largest
proportion of colored population" the
report concluded, "show the largest
rates of venereals disease. Adjacent
regions with an intermediate proper
ton Of colored population show an in
termediate amount. Relatively little
was found in the New England states
Including New York and over the
Northern states west Of the Missis-
sippi River. Wisconsin and the Da-
kotas, inhabited largely by immi-
grants from northern Europe, Ger
mans, and Scandinavians, show the
lowest rate for these diseases"
DR.. Laughlin, the eugenic expert !
referred to moment ago, has made
for the Committee ON immigration a
remarkable study of the relative de-
generacy of all classes Of social in
adeqnates except the venereal.
Taking all the nine major types of
social inadequacy together, and weigh
ling the races according to their pro-
portion in our total population, the
foreign born white are LAG per cent
of the average. These excuses Of the
immigrant stock above the average OF
inadequacy are the measure Of the
drag of an improperly controlled i'm
migration upon our racial American
effectiveness. ~
These total results DR.. Laughlin
classified by the older and the newer
immigration, and he finds clear evil
dence Of the lowered quality Of the
newer food Of immigrants from
South and East Europe.
Insanity and crime, are the worst
manifestations Of social inadequacy.
Insanity among immigrants, DR..
Laughlin shows, is nearly two and
two-thirds times more frequent than
in our older native stock. Among
Russians, Firms and Poles, Bulgar-
ians, Irish, and Serbians the proper
ton is highest Of all. The Irish
proclivity to insanity is over four
times that Of our older native stock
as a whole. It is so great that it
causes the rate for northwestern Eu-
rope stock as whole to exceed slight
ly that for southern and eastern Eu-
ropean stock.
OF all criminals in our prisons the
negro race furnishes, over twice Its
prorata share. The Italian race fur
nishes nearly two and one-ffth times
| its share. The Greeks nearly three
times theirs. The Balkan peoples two
and three-fourths times theirs.
What can now be done to lessen
this menace Of physical, mental and
moral blight that has come upon US ?
There must be nation wide health
crusade, more exacting, more 4persis-
tent and more consecrated than any
the world has ever known. First, even
though it were to cost billion dol
lars, or ten billions, the federal gov
eminent should institute survey to
determine the extent and causes Of
every disease that exists, with parti-
cular reference to alien sources
Then, upon that foundation Of com
plete information, the fight for bodily
and spiritual wholesomeness should BIZ
waged scientifically, Increasingly, until
the scourge of infections and defcien.
cies is no more. Just as education
should be free, so should each snG
every agency Of health be available
without cost to every human being
within our borders. Health ought IL
be regarded as a public function from
beginning to end, with hospitals
nurses and doctors available to all
rich and poor. Instead Of having on,
Public Health Service only a minol
bureau, it obviously should be Cab
met Department. For the teterna
good Of the country the first three
ranking places in the Cabinet shoult
be those of the Budget, Education AM
Health. 49,"
At present the legal tests for re
lection Of immigrants are not suf
lficiently exacting to detect inheritabl'
diseases in a person apparently fre'
Of such tendencies at the time Of ad
mission, but which inevitably vii
later develop in his own life or shov
| in the physical and mental inferiorit,
Of his children born in this country
If this continues, we invite slow bu
sure disaster. Certainly, therefore
whatever immigration policy may b
adopted, it should include the rigif
unrelenting exclusion Of every appli
!, cant whose acceptance would now 0
in the future lower the health lew
of the nation.
(3) Home Building. In order
insure nations perfect and pen
manent development, besides an eve
increasing sanity and complete san!
tation, there must be happy, whols
some family life.
i What the sun is to the solar 81.
item, the home is to America. III
supreme test Of national success lii
in the number and quality Of or
Ihomes. That Is alike the highes