from the standpoint of the impaired life, the recruit examined and found wanting, physically incapable and unfit to serve his country in the ranks of his comrades.

The result of the examinations made by the various local district Draft Boards throughout the United States will when they are collected, tabulated and published prove a vast mine of information for the student and the anthropologist. It is not possible at this date to obtain such data. Such returns have been requested, but few if any of the local Draft Boards have had time to do the clerical work necessary to tabulate their returns. I have been able, however, to personally examine the records of two districts in Hartford and one in Middletown, covering a total of 2,679 recruits examined, with the impairments which the rules of the Provost Marshal's office caused rejection from service, and it has brought to light some interesting facts.

Out of a total of 2,679 examined, 893, or approximately 33%, were found physically defective; in other words, one young man out of every three between the ages of 21 and 31 was sufficiently physically defective to be rejected as a soldier. Below normal standard of weight calls for the greatest number of rejections, namely, 205; defective vision rejected 166; some physical deformity or lameness, either the result of injury or disease, caused the rejection of 119; defective teeth 61; flat feet 67; heart disease of various types 71; deafness or disease of the ears 26; tuberculosis in all forms 34; insane, epileptic or imbecile 20; and the remainder various rarer impairments, such as syphilis, 4; disease of the abdomen 4; overweight 6, and enlarged tonsils 2.

In comparing these figures with the result of the draft in 1863 and 1864 some interesting comparisons can be made. In the two years, 1863 and 1864, 11,017 men were called for examination and 3,253 were exempted on account of physical causes, 29%, approximately. An exact comparison as to the causes of the rejection is not possible owing to a different system of classification, but it is still possible to get the causes of rejection for many standard impairments. Out of the 3,253 rejected 220 (or 6%) were declined on account of defective vision, 77 (2%) on account

of disease of the ear, 305 (9%) for defective teeth, 140 (4%) for heart disease, 291 (8%) for hernia, 225 (6%) for deformity or lameness, 228 (7%) for varicose veins, 332 (10%) for insane, epileptic or imbecile states, and 103 for disease of the lung and consumption—a fair comparison of what we now classify as tuberculosis. In other words, it will be seen that the proportionate number declined for each specific impairment in 1863 and 1864 will not vary materially from those reported in the selective draft for 1917. If we compare the causes of rejections in the two drafts, 1864 and 1918, we find that on account of defective vision 6% were rejected in 1863 and 18% in 1917; for defective teeth 6% in 1863 and 9% in 1917; for flat feet 2% in 1863 and 8% in 1917; for tuberculosis in all forms approximately 3% were declined in 1863 and 3% in 1917; for heart disease 4% in 1863 and 7% in 1917; for hernia 8% in 1863 and 8% in 1917; for deformity or lameness 6% in 1863 and 13% in 1917. It must be recalled that these percentages and comparisons are necessarily roughly made. The draft of 1863 included all men between 18 and 45 and the selection and examination itself was far less rigorous than that applied in 1918. The conditions of the population in 1863-4 were likewise radically different from those of 1917 and 1918. The United States census in 1860 gave a total population for Connecticut as 460,147, of which the total foreign born was 80,696. The census of 1910 gave the population of Connecticut as 1,114,756, of which 374,000 were foreign born white males. It is clear therefore that while the percentage of foreign born has enormously increased the total number of rejections for military service has risen only three per cent. There is nothing in the evidence or the figures so far as I have been able to see to warrant the belief that the mixture of foreign born population has in any way lowered the physical standard of our citizens.

It is proper to call attention to the fact that the draft of 1863 like the selective draft of 1918 followed a period when volunteers had flocked freely to the colors. In all times of national stress and danger, volunteering always draws the alert, enterprising, adventurous and intelligent; in other words, it is in

itself an automatic draft system, which selects the best. This proved to be the case especially in 1917; so it seems to me that the comparison between the conscript of 1863 and the select conscript of 1918 is a fair one, that is, they both represent as fairly as any comparison can, the physical condition of the men of that time, and as the result of that comparison we must acknowledge that one in three is a defective, that is, not physically up to the full standard of manhood.

A paper could be written on the causes of this. It is easy to mention a few contributory factors which have undoubtedly had their influence in producing this lowering of our physical national standard: poor food, neglected hygiene, bad sanitary surroundings, neglect of physical training. Neither in 1863 nor now has there been any well organized or systematized attempt at physical training of young manhood, certainly nothing to compare with the systematized gymnastic training that had prevailed for years in continental schools prior to the age of army life. Some attempt has been made in recent years by the establishment of athletic clubs, the introduction of gymnasiums in the public schools, and Y. M. C. A. recreation halls, the establishment of summer camps for boys and girls, and the increasing tendency for out-of-door sports and games. All of these are hopeful and helpful, but by the time the average youth has finished his public school course and is preparing to earn his own living the greater majority have little systematized athletic training and practically no supervision over their personal hygiene.

Many of the impairments found in the list I have outlined above are susceptible of great improvement, if not cure, by a system of physical education during adolescence. How many of these 166 cases of defective vision could have been saved and corrected by early training and attention of a competent oculist? How many defective teeth could have been prevented by a reasonable dentistry in early life? How many of the 119 deformed and lame; how many of the 205 underweights could have been brought up to proper physical proportion and proper physical standard by regulation of exercise, of food and of training?

Apart from the training as a professional soldier that the young recruit receives at one of our army camps to-day he is in innumerable instances being made over physically; a new man is being built up out of often most unpromising material. Any of you who have had an opportunity to observe the young soldiers now everywhere on our streets cannot but be impressed with the physical effects of a few weeks' military drill and discipline. Those of us who have had an opportunity of examining these young men as they passed through their various district boards, of observing round-shouldered, undeveloped, soft-muscled, pastyfaced young fellows already showing the effect of factory life and close confinement, lack of fresh air with perhaps some effects of the habits of the youth of that age, and then observe this same type of young man after three months' life at Camp Devens, observe the difference. I fancy many a father or mother who deplored the effect of the selective draft act which withdrew her boy from civil life and placed him in the army has at least found consolation in the improvement, mentally, physically and morally, from the wholesome life, hard work and strict discipline which is enforced in the army cantonments.

After all may it not be worth all this war has and will cost us; may it not be worth all the blood and treasure that we are and may have to pour out to sustain ourselves and defend our country and our principles if our young men have learned the fundamental principle that they must sacrifice their own personal whims and desires, must yield prompt and unquestionable obedience, must respect the flag and obey their superior officers, even though that superior officer may seem unreasonable and autocratic? Will not the physical improvement, the mental training, the inculcating of habits of order, discipline and system do us in the long run more good than harm?

This paper is a plea for the National Army of the future. I hope whatever the outcome of this war may be that some form of a National Army will continue to exist, a system that will make every young man reaching adult years realize and cheerfully yield up his time, his future hopes and ambition, if necessary his life, for the service of his country, and incidentally go

through the school, the training and the discipline which such an army can give. A National Army based on such principles that secured its recruits automatically and impartially would be the greatest school of democracy the world has ever seen. All should serve and stand alike before the law; all should obey those the law placed in command over them; all would reap equal benefits, and in my judgment all would retire at the end of the year or two years' service far better fitted for their future career in private life physically and mentally than ever before.