spiritual fitneBs for this predatory employment ; they are, on the whole, of a more malevolent and vagabond temper, have more of the ancient barbarian animus, than those who are left at home ( to carry on the work of the home community j and propagate the home population. And since the troops and ships are officered by the younger sons of the conservative leisure class and by the buccaneering scions of the class of professional politicians, a natural selection of the same character takes effect also as regards the officers. There results a gradual selective elimination of that old-fashioned element of the population that is by temperament best suited for the old-fashioned institutional system of status and servile organization.'
■ The selective eSect of wuf&re, both Micieot and modem, 1 been dlscusaed by various writers. PTOtract«d wars or a warlike poli(7 Always have some such effect, no doubt, and in old times this hac abown itself to be a serious cultural factur. It ia commonly regarded that tlie selection results in an elimination ot the "best" human material. Perhaps the most cogent spokesman for this view Is D. ( Jordan, The Blood of the .Vod'on. The "best" in this case must b« taken to mean the best (or the purpose, not necesaarily for other purposes. Id such a case u the Chinese or the Jewish peoples, very long-continued, though not In both cases a close, selective elimination of the peace-diaturbing elements has left a residue th;it is highly efficient (" good ") In certain directions, but not good war matsriaL The case of the Noctb- European peoples, however, in the present juncture is somewhat dlBerent froTii those. Racially, the most efBcient war material among them seems to be those elements that cont^n an appreciable admixture of the dolicho-blond stook. These elements ai the same time are apparently, on the whole, also the ones most ally endowed with industrial initiative and a large] aptitude for Uie machine lecbnolog; and scientific research. Seleotlve ellminaUon bj