The morning call., 1894-03-20
A POINT OF NATIONAL WEAKNESS

The statistics Of the population of
France for the year 1892, which have re-
Gently been published, show a consider
able excess of deaths over births. This
showing has been made for three years in
succession. Since the war of 1870 France
has made only small gains in population.
No other leading nation of Europe now
shows loss of population. The TACT be-
comes the more striking when it Is re-
membered that France counts every able
bodied man for military service. The
army has been increased, the navy en-
larged, while at the same time France has
been cited as an instance of great indus
trial prosperity.
But no country ever attained the highest
degree of prosI Gritty with steady death
rate larger than the birth rate. What are
the causes of this decline of population
France has recovered from the disasters
of the war OF 1901. She paid the war
debt without any trouble. There has
been less trouble in the agricultural dis
tricts of France than in England, Ger
many or Austria. But home life counts
for more in these coun res than it does in
France. In the latter country there is
thrift that includes the laying up of
money. The small agricultuyist, holding
only few acres, always has comfort
a BILE margin of savings But a part of the
domestic policy is small families. This
economy accounts in part for the falling
off of opuation. The French peasant
has horror of large family. His few
acres are suOdivIded to furnish allotments
for his children. His patrimony may bear
one or two subdivisions, but it cannot be
cut up for ten children.
Another reason probably for this decline
is that there is growing tendency even In
cities to discard home life. The solitary
are not set on families. Club life is deemed
more desirable. The domesti- side of life
is ignored. There is probably as much
domestic happiness in home life 10 France
as in any other country. But for all that
families do not rapidly increase. Pru-
dental and moral reasons probably will
account for that discrepancy. Home life
is avoided because it entails burdens and
restricts freedom. The menace OF France
is the loss of population in time of peace
That fact cOnfrOnts the nation when its
attitude is warike, or when at least it is
counting upon the probability of great
struggle with one or more European DOW
ers.
Germany increases her population stead
lily. and at the same time watches the
decrease of population in France with at
least speculative interest. With all the
agricultural distress in England there has
never been any decline of her people.
Ireland lost millions by emigration, but
the ratio between bir'hs and deaths is
always on the right side. France has not
lost heavily by emigration. and even if
that were the case it would not account
for the discrepancy now noted. Russia
shows rapid increase while she has ex-
lied thousands. There has been no famine
in France and no epidemic has ravaged
that country. 1t is nearly quarter of a
century since the last great war with Ger
many. Since that time the armies OF the
former have been stocked with new
generation of soldiers.
Whatever may be the cause of the de-
cline of the POPULATION in France, il is
manifestIy a vital weakness, which goes
very near 10 the foundation of national
prosperity.