In the regions within a radius of four or five hundred miles of th Strait of Dover these three races are mingled far more than anywher else, unless it be in the United States. In the European region al three of these highly competent races enjoy the stimulus of unusual!. favorable geographical conditions, and hence have good to make their special contributions to human progress and to business Thus the favored North Sea region has a peculiarly strong racial com bination which adds another to the complex series of reasons why this region leads in so many activities.
(6) The Contribution of Health to European Busigess.—Anotheii marked characteristic of Europeans is . their energy. In Chapter VII we saw that health is one of the most important conditions for active business. We have also seen not only that Europe as a whole is the most healthful of the continents, but that the region around the North Sea is probably the most healthful in the world aside from certain small areas such as New Zealand or parts of the Pacific coast of North America. Because of the climatic conditions the people would apparently be unusually strong and well even if there were no such thing as modern medicine. But the very fact that they possess energy makes them more ready than most people to profit by advances in medicine and sanitation. Unfortunately the Great War produced an enormous amount of disease and death, and the semi-starvation which afflicted scores of millions of people year after year has caused millions of children to grow up with impaired physiques. This condition is worst in relatively backward countries like Russia, but it played a part. even in France and Germany. Nevertheless, today as for centuries, Europe, especially in the parts around the North Sea, is strengthened in business as in every other activity because her people are healthy enough to work hard and to work intelligently.
(7) The Part Played by Historic Development.—The vigor of the Europeans has enabled them to profit by a vast number of his torical events which elsewhere could not have produced such great fruits. Thus the Europeans have profited greatly from Christianity.. They had the strength of character to accept the Christian ideas of responsibility for one's neighbors, and of honesty as the best policy. Hence, in spite of many failings, Europe maintains high standards in business. A business man whose dealings run into millions of dollars each year remarked, " I deal with half a dozen nations. From others I want a written contract, but from an Englishman a letter is enough, and with a Hollander a memorandum in his own pocket suffices." This estimate of racial honesty is probably fair. It is highly significant
that the two nations that carry on most commerce are the two that are most honest. Again, the physical, intellectual, and moral strength of Europe makes her more able than other parts of the world to profit by the wisdom of men of genius. It required people of high average ability to understand and perpetuate the work of such men as Shakespeare, Galileo, Columbus, Stevenson, and Darwin. Elsewhere many geniuses may have left little mark because they lived among people who could not carry on their work. Of course all this applies to people of Europea race in other continents, hut they are part. of Europe in the sen that their inheritance conies from that continent.
The importance of men of genius cannot be too strongly emphasize . If backed by competent disciples they give a country a start which is , an almost inestimable advantage. Such men in the North Sea regions invented and perfected most of the modern methods of transportation, communication, manufacturing, and commerce. At once the people took them up and improved them. Thus in almost every line west ern Europe got a start ahead of its competitors. The United States was # little slower in starting, Japan still more so, and other nations are ail yet mere beginners. For a time all sorts of business activities may increase in other countries more rapidly than in Europe, just .-ts i child of two may grow much faster than one twelve. But Europe has already grown to be such a giant in business and the advantages of a good start are so great that no other continent can easily overtake her. It is a calamity not only for Europe but for the world that th Great War wrought most havoc in the very regions where progres 1 has been most rapid. The same thing has happened in the past, for of the worst wars in former days were those where the dominant civilize;I 1 tions of their day clashed, Babylonians with Chaldeans, Assyrians with Egyptians, Greeks with Persians, Athenians with Spartans, and 1 Romans with Carthaginians. In all these ancient cases the fighting, produced terrible results ,from which one or both the contestants never recovered. Whether the same thing will happen today no one can In some respects recovery has ind ;ed been rapid, but in others the full consequences of the war may not be evident for generations. But one important factor is different now from what it ever was before: Never in the past, so far as we can tell, was there a region which equaled the regions around the North Sea in its combination of climate, ocean, relief, minerals, races, health, and a background of historic achievement on which to build a progressive future.