Claassen gives another comparison according to which the proportion 

 of soldiers or recruits of less than 165 cm. in stature was for 

 German soldiers in 1906 29.8 per cent., for German recruits during 

 1899-1903 40.2 per cent., and for French recruits during 1906 43.2 per 

 cent. The proportion of tall men, or those 170 cm. or over, was largest 

 among German soldiers, or 35.7 per cent., followed by German recruits, 

 with 29.6 per cent, and French recruits, with 25.6 per cent. Evidently 

 such comparative anthropometric averages must be used with extreme 

 caution and upon a thorough understanding that the statistics apply 

 either to soldiers or to recruits, and if to the latter whether the averages 

 apply to accepted recruits or to the entire recruiting material sub- 

 jected to a preliminary physical examination. 



RECRUITING STATISTICS OF ITALY 



The available recruiting statistics for Italy are for the period 1875- 

 1909. The rejection rate has varied considerably, between a maximum of 

 29.7 per cent, of those examined in 1906 and a minimum of 17.7 per 

 cent, of those examined in 1882. The fluctuations in rates, however, are 

 such as to make it evident that the results are strongly influenced by re- 

 cruiting requirements. The rejection rate on account of deficiency in 

 height has changed from a maximum of 10.2 per cent, in 1876 to 4.2 per 

 cent, in 1909, which is the lowest rate on record for the period. There 

 has been an increase in the rate of rejections on account of dis- 

 ease from a minimum of 10.1 per cent, in 1882 to 24.8 per cent, 

 in 1906. For the year 1909 the rate, however, was only 20.2 per cent. 

 The practice prevails in Italy of temporarily declining recruits who 

 apparently remain subject to further examination and possible accept- 

 ance. The rate of such rejections for the year 1909 was 28 per cent, 

 of the total number examined. In this group also the rejections on 

 account of deficiency in stature during recent years have been con- 

 siderably below the former average, the rate having been 1.4 per cent, in 

 1909, against a maximum of 5.3 per cent, in 1882. That these statistics 

 cannot be relied upon as measurable evidence of physical deterioration 

 is made clear by the fact that, while in 1881 the rejection rate on 

 account of deficiency in stature was 3.3 per cent.^ it was 5.3 per cent, 

 in 1883, and only 2 per cent, in 1884. 



The aggregate rate of acceptance was as high as 63.3 per cent, in 

 1877, and as low as 41.8 per cent, in 1906; but there was an increase to 

 44.0 per cent, in 1907, 43.4 per cent, in 1908, and 47.7 per cent, in 1909. 

 Evidently the rates have no direct bearing upon the question of physical 

 deterioration or improvement. The Italian statistics are impaired by the 

 increase in the proportion of those who were absent ; accounted for in a 

 large measure by the enormous Italian emigration. The statistics of defi- 

 ciency in height are affected by the law of 1882, which fixed the mini- 

 mum stature at from 154 to 156 cm., but the maximum w r as reduced from 



59 



