J. B. HULBERT ASKS "WHAFFOR?"

NZ Truth, Issue 507, 6 March 1915, Page 8

J. B. HULBERT ASKS "WHAFFOR?"

I, and doubtless many others, reac with much, interest and some wonderment, your article on "Wars Worst Waste," m your issue of February 20. I regret I cannot agree with many things therein stated. You tell us of the continued reduction of the "Army standard" a/id of the sixty out of the hundred children that 100 years ago used to dio before they were five years old; from which I deduce that, had it not been for preventive medicine, hygenics and sanitation m recent years, the race would be all but extinct. You dwell at somo length on "robust fatherhood," deploring the athletes, etc., killed, but not a word about healthy mothers: How is a nation of healthy people to bo raised if only the physique of ono sex is considered? When I noto a large proportion of the types of young men being sent away, and when I sco them being rounded up by their officers outside the drink shops and brothels, I'm not sure that we need grieve much at tne departure of many of thorn. HOw racial extinction is to be averted and degeneracy stayed, by giving two women to each contlngenter before he leaves for tho seat of war this scribe is unablo to Imagine. This suggestion presumes cohabitation for a sufficient period to ensure m each caso a reasonable prospect,of pregnancy, This also does not take Into account that there is normally only about 10 days m each month whon this would be likely, thus reducing the probability -of conception accordingly. Apart from this aspect of the subject, it is surprising to find "Truth" advocating the uso of women merely as child-bearirtg machine's, and for the raising of the requisite slaves for the master class. And theso prospective mothers would be working, even as they do now at factory, mill and woshtub. No, sir! women must bo emancipated economically as well as from this slavery as man's plaything and tho vehicle of the future wage slavo. Tho reproduction of tho human species is today mainly ln the hands of tho woman, and woman m the moro highly developed communities will not submit to the lhdifcnlty of a system of concubinage, particularly when sho learns as she quickly will to-day, that she Is to be tho moro medium for the reproduction of wealth producers for t:ic master class. I hold tho aim of the proletariat must be tho elevation of women, if mon ard ever to be freo, and women cannot bo treo until they have the right to say to whom, how and when, they will be the mothers of the future .race. Race extinction! By all means let the race die out, rather than women be further degraded. What does it matter to tho dead warriors of the past races, that their race has become extinct anyhow? Perhaps "Truth" will let us know how It arrives at tho conclusion that tnc "two wiveß" system will obviate the use of tho "strange woman." To this writer lt seems the reverse Is morelikely, for a man that Is trained to supplying the needs of two, mdst find It harder to abstain than one who is only called upon by a single partner. ["Truth" did*' 'not put' forward the statement that "a century ago sixty children out of every hundred died before reaching five years of age." m defence of the assertion that the race was degenerating. It said that tms "fact" was used by thoso who averred that the race was not .losing its virility. As to pleading for healthy fathers and overlooking the question ot healthy mothers—this Is only seemingly an omission. As only males actively participate In war, only the male side of the human race was dealt with. Besides even a llttlo thought will show that If there arc no healthy fathers, there certainly will be no healthy mothers m the next generation, and many contemporary mothers through co-habiting with nnhoalthy fathers will becomo m turn unhealthy. "Truth" did not advocate the . two women to one man arrangement. What this sane Journal did,,was to point out that such had been enforced previously. When a country had been denuded of the majority of Its healthy male population. As what hn9 boen, may be, "Truth" merely expressed a pious hope that, If ever tho conditions conducive to such a policy became Imminent. Britain would adopt that alternative to racial extinction, beforo and not after tho healthiest of her males were killed. -As for advocating, as "J.8.H." asserts, that woman should ho used solely as "child-bearing machines to produce the requisite slaves for the master-class," "Truth" begs to bo excused. It did not so contend. The fact that woman by the act of bearing children, provides, what our correspondent calls "tho master-class" with "slaves," Is consequent, not upon the net of motherhood, but upon the system of society now existing. The present system of socloty, be It "good or evil, exists, because tho majority of men and women cannot conceive of, or aro Ignorant of how to inaugurate, a better system. When tho majority have sufllclent knowledge and conviction to will It so, It will be so. But how Is that majority to bo obtained If those who bcllevo ln what thoy declaro to be a better system refuse to propagate Ihc species and bring their children up ln tho knowledge and principles of the "New Time," whllo thoso who support tho present, and, according to our correspondent, rotten system aro bearing and bull-dozing their offspring In the superstitions which havo bound men. manually and mentally for a thousand years? Other points ralßed In tho letter wero answered ln anticipation by last week's article.—Ed. "Truth."]