442 ROBERT COOK 



such a diet and some of the most important elements of it are an essential 

 part of a sound eugenic program. 



(5) The unsatisfactory nature of the existing credal pabulum is reflected 

 in the amazing growth of various religious and semi-religious cults. It is 

 not intended either to bracket eugenics with these cults or to imply that 

 we would find a very large proportion of desirable eugenic converts among 

 their membership. We may, nevertheless, give serious thought to the dis- 

 concerting fact that in the face of the obvious absurdity of most of their 

 tenets, many of these cults florish luxuriously in an alleged "age of science." 

 Their amazing popularity opens to them both free and paid means of public- 

 ity so that they are able to take an active hand in moulding public opinion. 



In contrast with this, we have the picture of World eugenics so inade- 

 quately supported and financed that it cannot, at present, be considered to 

 be a significant element in human affairs. 



The easiest way to dispose of this paradox is to shrug one's shoulders and 

 to say "What of it? Since Barnum's day the rate of reproduction of those 

 who delight to be fooled has risen to several per minute." 



If we are certain that this view correctly summarizes the situation, noth- 

 ing more need be said, but I am by no means sure that this is the whole 

 story. 



That brilliant expositor of a certain kind of ideas, the late Elbert Hubbard, 

 dramatized with his pen, an incident in the Spanish-American War — the 

 carrying of the Message to Garcia. Is it possible that the fine points of 

 message-carrying are an art that has special significance to us? 



Whether Garcia is a general hidden in the jungles of Cuba or a judge 

 in his library after dinner, the delivery of an effective message to him has 

 certain indispensable elements. First, we must know what we want to tell 

 him; second, we must discover where Garcia is; third, the message must be 

 in a language that he can understand; fourth, the message must be delivered 

 to him; fifth, it must be presented with tact and courtesy; and sixth, the 

 message must be, or seem to him to be, so important that he will get emo- 

 tional satisfaction out of doing something about it. 



There are all kinds of Garcias and all kinds of messages. Also there is an 

 almost endless variety of ways of getting the message garbeled. Of the six 

 elements of a successfully delivered message, some items are of much more 

 importance than others. The cults before mentioned teach us, if they teach 

 nothing else, that if properly presented, the message itself may be the most 

 arrant absurdity. If it is presented in a convincing jargon and coated with 

 the right kind of emotional sugar, an amazing number of Garcias can be 

 found willing to expend much blood and treasure in acting on the message 



