4 THE COMMON SENSE OF THE MILK QUESTION 



with a new and vital importance and urgency.® In 

 this country, likewise, our alarm at "race suicide " 

 has given a very noticeable impetus to child study, 

 and especially to the effort to save as many as pos- 

 sible of the tens of thousands of babies now needlessly, 

 ignorantly sacrificed every year. 



11 



From the Malthusian cry of "overpopulation" to 

 the Rooseveltian cry of "race suicide." is an astoimd- 

 ing transition. Throughout a large part of the 

 nineteenth century the influence of the Malthusian 

 dread of an increase of population beyond the limits 

 of the means of sustenance dominated the political 

 economy of the English-speaking world, and, with the 

 exception of France, most of the rest of the world 

 included in the category of civilization. The idea 

 was not restricted to the economists, but obsessed the 

 popular mind in a most remarkable manner. When- 

 ever it was proposed to do anything for the improve- 

 ment of the conditions surrounding the lives of the 

 masses, the cry was raised that nothing could be done 

 until means were found to check "the devastating 

 torrent of babies." " 



Now the pendulum has swung to the other extreme. 

 There is universal concern and fear because of a stead- 

 ily declining birth-rate, and the cry of race suicide 



