6
THE BATT ALIGN
THE LIBRARY PAGE
B. H. SHUFFLER Editor
H. G. GIVENS Asso. Editor
J. R. KEITH Asso. Editor
<2. M. WREN Asso. Editor
J. W. RILEY Asso. Editor
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HEREDITY AND HUMAN
AFFAIRS.
By
EDWARD M. EAST
{Reviewed by Herman W.
Toepperwein).
Edward M. East’s book, “Heredity
and Human Affairs,” is written in
a popular philosophical style in or
der to bring out the importance of
the relation that genetics bears to
society the better to those whose
conception of that subject is some
what limited. Mr. East messes around
■quite a bit and at times says as
tonishingly little but on the whole
he has stated some problems of
great importance in a new light, in
the light of eugenics unprejudiced
against environmental possibilities.
In fact he balances the two fairly
well, considering (though he does
inot admit it) that the book is a
plea for genetics against environ
ment throughout. Let’s consider a
short synopsis.
The new light of science is out
shining any previous conception of
life and human affairs in a New
Era of Humanism. In granting, pre
serving, and guiding life it is indeed
the “Sister of Mercy.” Through
facts and not fiction it is building
xmr future into an ethnocentric so
ciety whereas the past has been
^egocentric.
■“Inscribed in the Delphic oracles
were the words, ‘know thyself,’ and
this, says Cercantes, ‘is the most dif
ficult lesson in the world.’” There
is both a conscious and unconscious
-aversion among people to be con
nected with the rest of the animal
world and that is why it is so hard
to get genetic wisdom over to the
average individual, when it is, at the
same time, the most fundamental
thing in the world. Poor circum
stances may and do keep persons
of great possibilities down, but it
is not easy.
Genetics tells us that each indi
vidual is endowed through heredity
with a number of possibilities which,
■given a chance, react or respond to
form the man. A child cannot be-
come great without having an in-
Iierited capacity. The responsibili
ty upon society is therefore heavy,
both in producing the child and in
shaping the circumstance in which
it is reared.
Some several chapters are spent
in explaining the mechanics of here
dity. Genetic possibilities, combina
tions, the fertilization of the egg
cell, are all very interesting and
necessary, but entirely too much for
the writer to bring out here. And
too, we are more interested in the
social side of the question than in
the strictly biological explanation.
There can hardly be any doubt that
human traits are inherited. If bod
ily and structural differences such
as facial features, eye and skin
color, and different blood structures,
then why not mental characteristics ?
Feeble mindedness is inherited as
well as certain insanities and for
like reasons the strong and average
and the mind of a genuis come
through inheritance. And examples
are given to prove this statement.
But which is the more important,
heredity or environment ?
Much has been said in unbalanced
proportion in each case. The varia
tions and facts, mixed germ plasm
and other factors make it easy for
both sides to build up certain proof.
But the dispute is foolish. Neither is
the more important. Heredity and
Environment cannot be separated in
any such manner; each depends up
on the other, one cannot exist with
out the other.
Let us go back to some problems
of Heredity and Human Affairs. Is
it rational for a person of evident
intelligence and culture to stand
when there are seats, or ride in
a certain coach just because there
is a difference in skin color, the
slant of the eyes, or the height of
the nasal arch. Such glaring mis
takes are not the result of a lack
of intellect but of a rotten social
heritage. Racial amalgamation should
be considered from a eugenic stand
point.
What of the Negro, our greatest
racial problem ? He is a fit crea
ture physically, but he is racially
lower in intelligence than the white
race. This is what is happening.
About nine per cent of this coun
try, the negro, is rapidly changing
from a fairly distinct negro group
to a mixed-blood group. Is that,
good for the race ? The race has
had little opportunity in comparison
to the white race, but it is obvious
that the germ plasm counts. We
cannot sterilize the negro, he must
be treated decently and educated up
to his intellectual scale.
Now as to Genuis, Mediocrity and
Education. If a state must spend so
much money for a mediocre person,
a person of low intelligence from
which it receives little benefit, why
can’t the state spend money on the
exceptional person ? Our education
al system is foolish. The genuis must
suit his pace to the dullest member
of the class, though it is from the
exceptional class that the leaders of
the race come. Another problem.
Some more feeblemindedness.
There are about 20,000,000 people in
the U. S. whose nervous systems are
too defective for them to appre
ciate what is demanded of them in
modern society. It would do no good
to sterilize them for there are many
more with defective germ plasm that
are normal. We can do away with
the extreme low types by steriliza
tion, and if the others do not want
to play fair something might be
done about it. We are trying through
applied science to help the bodily
and mentally weak get along. But
that will not produce a strong race.
Superiority comes through a strong
body and mind. It is the proper com
bination of germs, not mutations.
And a civilization worthwhile needs
a high rather than a low average
of these qualities.
East recommends that immigration
should be fixed by eugenics, that
being the rational immigration law.
We need high-grade brains; we must
be selective.
Eugenics should be applied to pol-
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