Let us first of all consider merely from the viewpoint of business and “efficiency” the biological or racial problems which confront us.  As Americans, we have of late made much of “efficiency” and business organization.  Yet would any corporation for one moment conduct its affairs as we conduct the infinitely more important affairs of our civilization?  Would any modern stockbreeder permit the deterioration of his livestock as we not only permit but positively encourage the destruction and deterioration of the most precious, the most essential elements in our world community—­the mothers and children.  With the mothers and children thus cheapened, the next generation of men and women is inevitably below par.  The tendency of the human elements, under present conditions, is constantly downward.

Turn to Robert M. Yerkes’s “Psychological Examining in the United States Army"(1) in which we are informed that the psychological examination of the drafted men indicated that nearly half—­47.3 per cent.—­of the population had the mentality of twelve-year-old children or less—­in other words that they are morons.  Professor Conklin, in his recently published volume “The Direction of Human Evolution"(2) is led, on the findings of Mr. Yerkes’s report, to assert:  “Assuming that these drafted men are a fair sample of the entire population of approximately 100,000,000, this means that 45,000,000 or nearly one-half the entire population, will never develop mental capacity beyond the stage represented by a normal twelve-year-old child, and that only 13,500,000 will ever show superior intelligence.”

Making all due allowances for the errors and discrepancies of the psychological examination, we are nevertheless face to face with a serious and destructive practice.  Our “overhead” expense in segregating the delinquent, the defective and the dependent, in prisons, asylums and permanent homes, our failure to segregate morons who are increasing and multiplying—­I have sufficiently indicated, though in truth I have merely scratched the surface of this international menace—­demonstrate our foolhardy and extravagant sentimentalism.  No industrial corporation could maintain its existence upon such a foundation.  Yet hardheaded “captains of industry,” financiers who pride themselves upon their cool-headed and keen-sighted business ability are dropping millions into rosewater philanthropies and charities that are silly at best and vicious at worst.  In our dealings with such elements there is a bland maladministration and misuse of huge sums that should in all righteousness be used for the development and education of the healthy elements of the community.