Evening star., 1954-12-31
Insect Welfare States
Described in Worning
Man Subject to Same
Fate. Scientist Says
By Thomos R. Henry

BY Thomas K. Henry
BERKELEY. Calf, Dec 81. The
welfare state" with surrender Of indi-
vidual freedom. is one Of natures eldest
institutions-and always disastrous.
From it have come the brainless. eye
less, motionlesS clans. oysters. marine
worms which live buried in mud, and
one spiderlike creature which has
changed into worm.
All are descended from free ances-
tors. Now they have lost freedom for
ever.
This warning was sounded before the
American Association for the Advance
ment of Science here last night by DR..
Horace w. Stunkard of New York Uni
versity. Man himself. DR., Stunkard
said. is physically not unique in nature
but subject to the same universal laws
as worms and mollusks,
Fear Is Stimulus.
The stimulus to surrender of freedom
apparently always has been fear. he
said. oysters and worms have found
security and ease in the mud, as well
as inestimable degradation.
They retain only one vestige of free
dom necessary for continued existence.
For a few days at the start of life all
are free-moving organisms. which
permits the distribution of the species.
Otherwise they have nothing to do but
live and reproduce and the reproduc-
ton rate Is enormous. One parasitic
worm, for example, lays about 100000
eggs day throughout life. This must
be compensated with an equally enor-
nous death rate to keep within the
food supply Otherwise the worms
would soon outweigh the earth.
Evolution, DR.. Stunkard said, Is
about as often regressive as progressive.
Closer to man than worms or mol
lusks are the social insects. In the past
so to 100 million years. the period
during which most extant species have
appeared on earth, "a different insect
societies have arisen representing
natures most startling efforts in
communal organization"
Appears Busy.
"At first glance" said DR.. Stunkard.
each colony appears to be busy, eff1-
cient, happy family with members con-
tributing an effort to the welfare of the
group. But closer examination reveals
rigorous caste system in which indi-
viduals are bound to permanent, monot-
onous servitude. The royal individuals
perform the sexual, reproductive func-
tions but otherwise enjoy life Of luxu-
rious ease while all the others belong
to the sterile worker castes. Some serve
&nro Anv1 "a,
until their bodies are enormously in
creased in size and almost spherical.
They are quite unable to walk but hang
by their claws from the ceiling Of the
nests.
"Under the surface Of the apparently
serene tranquility of the ant colony the
most savage and shocking events are
taking place-murder, regicide, pillage,
and forays against other colonies in
which the adults are killed and the
larvae and pupae carried off to slavery.
"The honey bee has been extolled in
song and story as virtuous, sedulous
and praiseworthy example of social eff
ficiency. In reality she is most
pathetic little creature. Restricted DUR
ing development that the organs remain
rudimentary, without hope of romance
or progeny, she burns herself out and
dies exhausted after q few weeks OF
feverish activity. martyr of the well
fare state"
Ultimate Degradation.
The ultimate of this welfare state
degradation is found among the COM
plete animal parasites, DR.. Stunkard
said.
1.-THE parasite" he said, "enjoys a
condition Of luxurious idleness With
nothing else to do, its surplus energy
finds expression in enormously in
creased reproduction. The welfare
state has been attained. But the organs
which function most vigorously in a
free-living existence, which render a
species most alert and active, undergo
progressive reduction and eventual at
rophy. Fleas and lice have lost their
wings Scab mites lack eyes and organs
of respiration. The linguatalids, be-
longing to the spider family, have lost
practically all their primitive charac-
ters and specifically resemble tape
worms. There is corresponding reduc-
ton In the nervous system. Certain
groups have lost all traces Of an
alimentary tract
Throughout the animal kingdom,
during human history as recorded In
written form. and during geological
history as recorded In the evolutionary
record, independence has been the es-
sential condition of progress, whereas
surrender of freedom to attain security
has led only to bondage, repression and
degeneracy."