494 



The Journal of Heredity 



to be concentrated much of the coun- 

 try's ability. A list of one hundred 

 would include New York's really bi^ 

 men. The names of not more than one 

 thousand would be generally recognised 

 in the countr>' at large for actual achieve- 

 ment. 'Who's Who in America,' with 

 its fine-tooth comb, finds less than four 

 thousand men and women worthy of its 

 not too discriminating pages. New 

 York is popularly considered as swarm- 

 ing with financial and industrial mag- 

 nates. W ithin the limits of a thousand 

 one could put all its leaders of finance 

 and captains of industry, and still have 

 places to spare. 



"Yet the toll of 1% would call for 

 forty thousand of New fork's best. 

 \\ hat would be left of New York? 



"It seems incredible that the loss of 

 only one individual in every hundred 

 could so devastate human values in any 

 vigorous nation. But we are wholly 

 misled in our estimate of a nation's 

 strength by the always satisfactory pro- 

 portion of its physical vigor. Physically, 

 a people can hold its own almost indefi- 

 nitely. In the physical display which 

 any active nation can make we lose 

 sight of the rather appalling fact that its 

 consti uctively effective brains are con- 

 centiated in the heads and inheritances 

 of an unbelievably small number." 



Of course it is frequently objected that 

 the \isible ability docs not represent all 

 the potential ability. '1 here are many, 

 it is supposed, who would rise if they had 

 the chance; they are the mute, inglorious 

 \iiltons who through lack of education 

 or through economic difi^lculties have 

 never been able to reveal to the world 

 what there is in them. 



'1 his objection rests on doubtful 

 ground, genetically. Nevertheless, it 

 may be allowed for. " Su])iKJse we make 

 this allowance generously and assume 

 that, for e\ ery indix idual w ho develops 

 exceptional cai^acit)-, there are ten 

 sources from which his like might pos- 

 sibly rise; in other words, raise our esti- 

 rr.ate of sustaining inheritances from 1 

 to 10^^. 'ihen. for a single convincing 

 cxami)le, rrake the toll from (n-eater 



New York 10^/7 — four hundred thou- 

 sand of her best in genetic values. Does 

 the wildest oj^timist believe that New 

 York's population would then hold an\- 

 thing more of racial promise than the 

 decadent populations of the Mediter- 

 ranean ? 



"It is a startling thought that inheri- 

 tances of the quality essential to the 

 effective maintenance of civilization are 

 lodged exclusively with a scant 10% of 

 the jwpulation. Yet that is the logical 

 conclusion if w^e accept what appear to 

 be plain facts." 



THE POSITION OF FRANCE 



Now in estimating the probable effect 

 of the war on the \-arious nations in- 

 volved, it must be asked how much the\- 

 can afford to lose 'l Are they eugenically 

 sound and likely to be able to make good 

 the racial damage which they will incur'' 

 Mr. Humphrey begins his study with 

 France. 



"Race mixture has not been much of a 

 degenerating influence in France. Her 

 race values have gone dow^n under the 

 long-continued failure of her best stocks 

 adequately to perpetuate themselves. 

 Compared wdth the other great nations 

 of Europe, France has had longer periods 

 free from tormenting wars — periods 

 given over to the advancement of culture 

 and to the enjoyment of it. Luxury has 

 had more time and opportunity to pla\' 

 havoc with her race values, and in this, 

 luxury has been assisted by the ver\ 

 quality of French temperament which 

 has made the glory of French culture. 

 No new blood can come to France — her 

 resources are within the realm. Her 

 African possessions are more of a drain 

 than a prop to her racial vitality.' Her 

 decline is not to be stayed by a forced 

 rise in the birth rate; nmnbers secured in 

 that way add nothing to race values. 

 Her handful of effectives is shrinking — 

 as those of her rivals are shrinking, onl\- 

 faster — and no agitation over birth rate 

 can set the effectives of France, or an\ 

 other nation for that matter, to mending 

 their wa>'s. I-'rance is nearer to the 

 critii-al (lispn>])<)rli()n between her con- 



• This is not true of North Africa. The birth rate in Algeria is relatively high and the popii- 

 lation sh"\vs much of the vigor that is exj)ectcd in a new country. — Tm-: IJditor. 



