CONTROL OF HEREDITY: EUGENICS 439 



There is no doubt that war like any other great 

 crisis discovers great men and furnishes op- 

 portunities for the development of great qual- 

 ities that might otherwise remain undeveloped 

 and unknown. But there is also no doubt that 

 it takes the very best blood of the nations. 

 Those who go to war are the young, the strong, 

 the capable, while the weak, incompetent and 

 degenerate are left behind as unfit for military 

 service. If conditions could be reversed and 

 the bungled and botched, the feeble-minded 

 and insane, the degenerate and debauched 

 could be put in the fore front of battle some 

 benefit to the race might result, but no increase 

 of national greatness can compensate for the 

 awful waste of the best thing which any nation 

 possesses — its best blood. 



3. Positive Eugenical Measures. — Positive 

 eugenical measures are much more difficult to 

 apply and are of more doubtful value. Of 

 course compulsory measures are out of the 

 question and encouragement and advice alone 

 are feasible. Giving advice regarding matri- 

 mony is proverbially a hazardous performance, 

 and it is not much safer for the biologist than 



