EUGENIC AND DYSGENIC EFFECTS OF WAR 233 



the International Congress of Population (by Messrs. Briand, Burgdorfer, 

 Hersch, Rosset, and Wiirzburger) and to the Tokio session of the Interna- 

 tional Institute of Statistics, as well as in works published by Prof. Hunt 

 and Col. Love, in America, and by me, my pupils, or colleagues (Messrs. 

 Boldrini, Crosara, D'Addario, L'Eltore, Livi, Savorgnan and Pieraccini), 

 in Italy. 1 



GENERAL CONSIDERATION ON THE PROGRAMME AND POSSIBLE RESULTS OF 

 RESEARCHES ON THE EUGENIC AND DYSGENIC EFFECTS OF WAR 



Before proceeding with the resume of the results so far obtained in their 

 researches by the members of the committee for the study of the eugenic or 

 dysgenic effects of the war, or by other scholars who studied the matter at 

 my request, I deem it opportune to dwell upon some considerations aiming 

 to give a just valuation of the importance that such results may assume for 

 science and practical life. 



First of all we must take into account the fact that the eugenic or dysgenic 

 aspect of war, although important, will always constitute a secondary point 

 of view in the determination of wars. Whatever the effects of war on the 

 race may be, be they favorable or unfavorable, it is little likely that a con- 

 sideration of them will ever dissuade from war those nations that incline 

 toward it, or, vice versa, induce others to war that are not war-minded. As 

 a matter of fact, the consideration of prestige and economic advantages and, 

 above all, the emotions and the sentiments represent factors which are pre- 

 ponderant, if not altogether irresistible, in determining a war. 



Another fundamental point is that it is not proper to speak of the eugenic 

 or dysgenic effects of "war" on "the race" but rather of "a war" on "a 



1 Cfr. C. Gini: Sulla mortalita infantile durante la guerra — "Atti della Societa Italiana 

 di ostetricia e ginecologia," Vol. XIX, 1919 (also in: Problemi Sociologici della guerra — ■ 

 Bologna, Zanichelli, 1921); C. Gini: La coscrizione militare dal punto di vista eugenico — 

 "Metron," Vol. I, n. 1, 1920; F. Savorgnan: La natimortality negli anni di guerra — 

 "Metron," vol. I, n. 2, 1920; C. Gini: La guerra dal punto di vista dell'Eugenica— 

 "Metron," vol. I, n. 4, 1921; M. Boldrini and A. Crosara: Sull'azione selettiva della 

 guerra tra gli studenti universitari italiani — "Metron," vol. II, n. 3, 1923; C. Gini and 

 L. Livi: Alcuni aspetti delle perdite dell'esercito italiano in base a dati degli Uffici Notizie 

 —"Metron," vol. IV, n. 2, 1924; C. Gini: I morti dell'esercito italiano dal 24 maggio 1915 

 al 31 dicembre 1918 — Provveditorato Generale dello Stato, Roma, 1926; R. d'Addario: 

 L'azione selettiva della guerra in un gruppo di studenti universitari italiani — "Archivio 

 Scientifico del R. Istituto Superiore di Scienze Economiche e Commerciali di Bari," 

 1926-27 and 1927-28; H. R. Hunt: Some biological aspects of war — Eugenics Research 

 Association," Monograph Series, New York, 1930; G. P. l'Eltore: Contribute alio 

 studio degli effetti selettivi della guerra dal punto di vista dell'eugenica — -'Genesis," 

 n.1-2, 1932. 



