HERMANN J. MULLER 
out with maximum foreknowledge of the possibilities entailed, 
and hampered as little as possible by irrational restrictions and 
by direct personal involvements. Moreover, to keep as far 
away as possible from dictation, the final decision regarding 
the selection to be made should be the prerogative of the couple 
concerned. These conditions can be well fulfilled only after 
plentiful banks of germinal material have been established, 
representing those who have proved to be most outstanding in 
regard to valuable characteristics of mind, heart, and body. 
In addition, such storage for a person’s own germ cells should 
be a service supplied at cost to anyone wishing it. Catalogued 
records should be maintained, giving the results of diverse 
physical and mental tests and observations of all the donors, 
together with relevant facts about their lives, and about their 
relatives. 
The couple making a choice should have access to these 
records and the benefit of advice from physicians, psychologists, 
geneticists, and specialists in the fields in which the donors had 
engaged. The germinal material used should preferably have 
been preserved for at least twenty years. Such an undertaking 
by a couple would assume the character of an eminently moral 
act, a social service that was in itself rewarding, and the couple 
who engaged in it would be proud of it and would not wish to 
conceal it. 
We have not here touched upon any of the more technical 
genetic matters that would ultimately be involved in human 
betterment, because at this stage the important task is to achieve 
the change in mores that will make possible the first empirical 
steps. When the choices are not imposed but voluntary and 
democratic, the sound values common to humanity nearly 
everywhere?” are bound to exert the predominant influence in 
guiding the directions of choice. Practically all peoples venerate 
creativity, wisdom, brotherliness, loving-kindness, perceptivity, 
expressivity, joy of life, fortitude, vigour, longevity. If presented 
with the opportunity to have their children approach nearer 
to such goals than they could do themselves, they will not turn 
down this golden chance, and the next generation, thus 
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