NOTES 593 



fighting may have different effects upon racial development. 

 The former was indeed likely to have precisely the opposite 

 effect to that imagined by Dr. Jordan, because the weak men 

 would be killed out by the fighting, especially where all the 

 males are forced into war. It may be more plausibly argued 

 that in modern war the big, the courageous, and the dutiful men 

 are more likely to be selected as soldiers, and are therefore more 

 likely to be killed in battle; but this would apply chiefly to 

 nations which adopt voluntary service and not to those which 

 adopt universal service. But even here there are qualifying 

 considerations. In modern war the greatest mortality is due» 

 not to the fighting, but to diseases. In fact, the subject is much 

 too complex for such treatment as the Chancellor of Stamford 

 University seems to think. Moreover, universal military train- 

 ing may possibly have such a good effect as will swamp the 

 occasional loss of good men in the comparatively rare moments 

 of war ; while, lastly, we have no scientific grounds for assuming 

 the general eugenic law which he appears to accept. The 

 children of weak men are not always strong nor the children of 

 strong men weak. It is possible that the training, the exercise, 

 the stimulation of all effort caused by war do far more towards 

 raising the physique and morale of a nation than the selective 

 slaughter of some of the better individuals does towards 

 depressing them. In our last number we drew attention to 

 the fact that the French and the Germans have obtained leading 

 places among the great nations as regards the scientific Nobel 

 Prizes ; and yet these nations are precisely those which were 

 engaged most in the numerous wars of last century. In fact 

 a general survey of human history appears to lead us to a 

 conclusion precisely opposite to that arrived at by Dr. Jordan. 

 War is a dreadful thing ; but nevertheless it may quite possibly 

 be utilised by nature for raising racial standards ; and the first 

 concern of science is to ascertain truth. 



The University of Bristol 



Owing to the energetic action of the Athenaeum, which has 

 devoted weekly articles to the affairs of this University, a 

 resolution was moved at the Meeting of the University Court 

 held on November 14, begging that the Council of the Univer- 

 sity be asked to inform the Court fully of the circumstances 

 connected with the appointment of Prof. Cowl. The resolu- 



