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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIII. No. 1103 



Adequate national defense is the only 

 answer to this extraordinary situation, and 

 it must continue until the spirit of militar- 

 ism and conquest is subdued in other pow- 

 erful nations. 



There are good-intentioned people who 

 oppose this policy of national preparedness 

 against war. For protection against a for- 

 eign foe they stand upon the theory : 



In weakness there is strength. 



They also tell us that our duty to the 

 great brotherhood of man is higher than 

 our duty to our country. 



If we are worthy of belonging to the 

 human species we must know that our first 

 duty is to our own — to faithfully guard the 

 lives and the happiness of that portion of 

 the human family given into our care, and 

 to religiously discharge our responsibilities 

 as trustees for our own posterity. 



However we may abhor war, it is a self- 

 evident truth that to-day a nation withoiit 

 the will or the capacity to fight for its own 

 peace, honor or national entity commands 

 little respect at home or abroad. It has 

 neither influence nor place in the councils 

 of the world. 



Our primary obligations to humanity and 

 to posterity are to guard our national 

 birthright now, and to hand down a race 

 that will have, not only the will, but the 

 physical power and endurance to defend 

 and maintain our ideals, and our institu- 

 tions in their full integrity. 



TAKING STOCK OF NAlllONAL VITALITY 



Upon the health and strength of the 

 people depend the safety of the state and 

 the continued advance of our civilization. 



With this important truth in mind, and 

 also the constantly increasing demand for 

 physical fitness of the individual in our in- 

 dustries as well as in war, let us consider 

 some of the evidences of declining power 



of our people to endure the physical stress 

 and strain of modern life. 



"We will then be able to appreciate the 

 need of a national vitality commission to 

 study and report upon the present phys- 

 ical status and trend of our people. Such 

 a commission should be authorized by con- 

 gress and appointed by the President and 

 consist of, say, fifteen members selected 

 from a list of our most eminent authorities 

 in this field of science. 



An ofiicial body of this character would 

 command attention an-d confidence. It 

 would not only enlighten the public, but it 

 would stimulate to action our school and 

 health officials, and the appropriating au- 

 thorities back of them, in spreading knowl- 

 edge of individual hygiene and healthful 

 living generally. This would help to check 

 both communicable and degenerative affec- 

 tions which are causing such an excessive 

 drain upon national vitality. 



If the state can teach us how to combat 

 germ diseases (which it is doing), why not 

 organic diseases, which are virtually all 

 preventable or deferable? 



THE DECLINING DEATH BATE 



Modem progress has freed us from many 

 mental and physical burdens. It has given 

 us wealth, comforts, luxuries, pleasures and 

 opportunities for gaining knowledge far 

 beyond the dreams of our forefathers. It 

 has removed many dangers from our paths 

 and lengthened the average years of life, 

 all of which we gladly acknowledge. 



But we must also recognize that while 

 American life strain has decreased in some 

 respects it has increased in others. We 

 must admit that our civilization, in addi- 

 tion to its blessings, has brought us habits 

 and hazards of life and degenerative influ- 

 ences which promote physical deteriora- 

 tion. 



Many people who give little thought to 



