WAR AS A FACTOR OF INVERSE SELECTION 323 



Obviously, if the species is to maintain itself, if its normal number 

 is to suffer no decrease, a number of individuals presenting this 

 necessary variation must be forthcoming, equal to the total 

 normal number of the Ladividuals of the species ; nay, this number 

 must be greater, because necessarily some variations, although 

 in the same direction, will be less complete, and consequently 

 less valuable biologically. In order to bring about this necessary 

 change in the species, it is thus evidently essential that an 

 immense number of individuals be to hand, in order that the 

 necessary selection of those who present the favourable variation 

 in question may be made. 



Thus war, with its attendant miUtary system, constitutes, 

 under modem conditions, a factor of inverse selection ; alike by 

 the positive destruction of the biologically fitter elements and 

 by the disturbance which it must induce in the normal birth and 

 death rates of the non-combatant commimity ; and also by reason 

 of the economic obstacles which the modern miUtary system 

 places in the way of the biologically fitter elements. Militarism 

 and war, in our modern civilisation, far from being the selective 

 factors which they are supposed to be, constitute, on the contrary, 

 an absolute obstacle to race progress. It is useless to retort, as 

 is sometimes done, that in war only the weakest are slain. In 

 the first place, even supposing this were true, the weakest who 

 succumb on the field of battle would stiU, as a whole, be organi- 

 cally superior to the non-combatants who, in countries of com- 

 pulsory service, are only exempted because of physical in- 

 capacity. But, in the second place, this allegation is not always 

 founded on fact. The bullets of the enemy may reach the fittest 

 and the less fit alike. 



To resume, we may say that the European States, which 

 together maintain 3,200,000 men under arms on a peace footing, 

 are at a disadvantage in the economic struggle with a country 

 like the United States, which maintains only 36,000. And, as 

 the economic aspect is the fimdamental aspect of our present 



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