618 CONTINUITY OF LIFE 



the more successful families had on the course of events, would never have sur- 



average one more child than the lower two- vived. The genes responsible for these 



thirds (that is, 7.2 to 6.2). The years since weaknesses would have been kept to a low 



this period have seen a gradual decline in frequency under natural selection, but with 



the more able group. Thus today persons the intervention of modern medicine they 



belono-incT to the professions and business have been saved to be perpetuated and thus 



class are not replacing themselves by 15 increased in subsequent generations. Let 



to 25 per cent. The largest families occur us hasten to point out that saving these lives 



in people in the lowest occupational levels, from a humanitarian point of view can only 



In other words, there is an inverse relation- be praised, but in the eyes of the geneticist 



ship between occupational level and size of it simply means that one of the most potent 



families. The birth rate among unskilled factors in building a strong race is pre- 



laborers is almost double that of men in vented from functioning. The results could 



business or professions. Likewise, there is lead to inferior stock. 



an inverse relationship between intelligence Another dysgenic factor in our present 

 and the size of family. A study made by civilization is modern warfare. In centuries 

 Lentz over 20 years ago demonstrates a past the strongest, cleverest, and most intel- 

 trend that is no different today. He found ligent men went into battle and the best of 

 that children with an I.Q. of 150 or over these survived to come home and become 

 came from families with 2.2 children, the fathers of the next generation. This was 

 whereas those with I.Q.s of 70 to 79 aver- natural selection at work. Since the ad- 

 aged 5.3 children per family. The family vent of gunpowder and subsequent deadly 

 sizes increased with each succeeding de- weapons, the strong and able are cut down 

 dining I.Q. In such a situation, the fami- equally with the less well endowed. Indeed, 

 lies with high intelligence were not replac- it is said that taller men are more apt to be 

 iuCT themselves while those in the lower hit first because they constitute a larger tar- 

 brackets were more than doing the job. get. In the past it is believed this has had a 

 If the present trends continue, within three tendency to reduce the stature of large 

 generations a great proportion of the pop- groups of people. Furthermore, in all wars 

 ulation will come from the less intelligent the best equipped both physically and men- 

 class, resulting in a continued drop in gen- tally are selected for duty first, thus elimi- 

 eral intelligence of the population as a nating many of them from the opportunities 

 whole. It has been estimated that the I.Q. of becoming parents. To be sure, there is 

 is dropping in the United States at the rate always a sudden burst in the numbers of 

 of one point each generation and in Eng- babies sired during and following wars, but 

 land at the alarming rate of 3 points each it is unlikely that this alters the over-all 

 generation. Bertrand Russell predicted that genetic constitution of the race. Too much 

 for the next few hundred years each gen- of this increase is accounted for by the 

 eration will become more stupid than its physically and mentally unfit that are left 

 predecessor. It is questionable whether or at home. The military can hardly be blamed 

 not a nation depending on an intelligent for wanting the best men they can get to 

 population can survive such inroads on the man the complicated instruments of modern 

 prime factor responsible for its existence. warfare, but these same men are also the 

 Modern medicine, while certainly alle- best stock we have and their chances of be- 

 viating the miseries of mankind during the coming the parents of the next generation 

 past two hundred years, has also prolonged are much reduced when in service as com- 

 the lives of many and saved the lives of pared to life at home. For the past several 

 a multitude of others who in the normal hundred years, then, we have been follow- 



