RACIAL DIFFERENCES 31 1 



therefore alcohol is an agent of stringent selection ; that every race 

 on earth that has had little or no experience of alcohol tends to be 

 excessively intemperate when afforded the opportunity ; that 

 therefore this excessive susceptibility is the primitive condition of 

 humanity ; that every race that has had previous experience is tem- 

 perate in the presence of abundant supplies of alcohol in proportion 

 to the length and severity of its experience ; that therefore there is 

 no escape from the conclusion that such races have undergone 

 protective evolution ? The subject requires careful and unprejudiced 

 thought. Hitherto men have been content to accept without 

 question the simple belief that men are sober or intemperate in 

 proportion as they do or do not exercise self-control a belief 

 which involves the corollary that, since drunkards are vehemently 

 tempted, therefore all moderate men are as much tempted but oppose 

 even more vehement resistance. The reader should test this hypo- 

 thesis by examining his own psychology and that of his intimates. 

 521. Formerly it was universally believed that certain races 

 (e.g. Italian and Spanish) were 'naturally' more temperate than 

 others (e.g. English and Red Indian). But since the theory of 

 alcoholic evolution was formulated, the surprising discovery has 

 been made that the races hitherto supposed to be the most 

 temperate are really the most drunken of all. Thus it is stated 

 that the per capita consumption in the South of Europe is greater 

 than in the North, and much greater than among Red Indians or 

 Australian blacks, and the ' obvious ' inference is drawn that South 

 Europeans are much the most intemperate of all. According to 

 this theory, if a party of one hundred men consumed two bottles 

 of spirits, each man taking his share, while one member of a party 

 of similar strength drank a whole bottle by himself, there would be 

 twice as much intemperance in the former party as in the latter. 

 In the South of Europe practically every man, woman, and child 

 takes alcohol ; but excessive drinkers are rare. In the North 

 multitudes of men, more women, and nearly all children take 

 no alcohol at all ; multitudes take it in moderation ; but a con- 

 siderable minority are excessive drinkers. The Western aborigines 

 are rarely able to procure alcohol ; but, when they have the 

 opportunity, they all of them almost invariably take it in excess. 



522. Racial differences with respect to alcohol are admitted 

 by most people, but are attributed to all sorts of causes other than 

 evolution. Climate : Since South Europeans are sober, a warm 

 temperate climate has been thought to be conducive to moderation. 

 But only those races inhabiting warm temperate climates which 



