SELECTIVE BIRTH-RATE 157 



sixteenth century, but to the utterly wanton, selfish, 

 and senseless restriction of the birth-rate among the 

 intellectual and able classes of the community. Surely 

 the gods themselves must weep over the perverse 

 stupidity of the human race, who three times in a 

 thousand years have held such possibilities of glorious 

 development in their hands, and three times have com- 

 passed their own destruction. 



The history of European colonies, beginning with the 

 discovery of America, and the early settlement of that 

 continent by Spain, England, and France, has afforded 

 a most interesting example in the development of 

 population under the influence of different races, con- 

 ditions, and environment. We can still trace clearly 

 in the present populations and their international 

 relations the effect of the various types of settlement. 



The Spanish occupation of Central and Southern 

 America was characterized by the spirit of adventure, 

 the lust of gold, and the intolerance of the Jesuit 

 missionary ideals. Men of courage and enterprise left 

 the old country to carve out their fortunes across the 

 Atlantic, and even to the last days of the occupation of 

 Cuba, the Spanish colonies were too often treated merely 

 as a source of income to the mother country, bound 

 to provide careers and fortunes for her officials and 

 money-seeking adventurers. But no persistent attempt 

 was made to establish a permanent form of settlement, 

 and few Spanish women accompanied their men-folk 

 to the new continent. As a consequence, the proud 

 and well-bred Spaniard mated with the native Mexican 

 and Peruvian women, and some of his best qualities 



