The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-26
The FUTURE WORLD POWERS.
SIR ROBERT CITIZEN on TEE
GROWTH or POPULATION.

f0H NnlNE0 St9tD Vtu - -
international Pastor Than IL b Now
Russia and Germany Moving Forward
LONDON. Sept. IAN address delivered
Yesterday to the Economic Science and
Statistics section Of the British Association
by Sir Robert Giden. y. X H.. has been to-
day the subject Of much comment. Sir
Robert took as his topic the statistics OF
population and urged especially the i'm
p~ortAnce Of studying this records Of the
census, which have now existed In most
European COUNTRIES n among peoples
Of European origin for q century. Political
ideas and speculation are. he argued. neccs-
sarily colored by ideas originating In such
records, and political action. Information
Ally and otherwise, would be all the wiser
n the records were more carefully obesrvcd
than they are, and the Lessons to be de-
rived widely appreciated and understood.
He then took as his first broad fact the
enormous increase OF he population OF
European countries and Of peoples OF Eu-
ropean origin during the nineteenth oen-
tury. At tho beginning Of the last cen
fury this population. exclusive OF South
American countries and Mexico. wa. about
10. 900. 600. At its close IL was about $40. ooo.-
600. Analysing this aggregate increase
II Ia found that the growth OF h United
States alone IL from a little over five TO
nearly eighty millions, and Of the English
population Of the Britain Empire from about
fifteen to ffty-hve millions Germany
and Russia also show remarkable growth
from twenty 20 hfty-hvo millions In
the one case. and from 70 TO 1855 mil
Hons In the other-partly due to annoxa-
ton. but the growth Of France " no more
than from twenty-five to forty millions.
The effect OF this. says Sir Robert Gihen.
necessarily Is TO assure the ~preponderanoe
OF European peoples among the races
Of the world-to put aside completely.
for instance. tho Nightmares OF yellow
or black penls arising from the supposed
overwhelming mas OF yellow or black
raocs. those races by comparison being
stationary. or nearly 90. Equally IL fol-
lows that the relative position Of the British
Empire. the United States. Russia and
Germany. has become such a. to make
them exclusively the great world Powers.
although Franco. for economic reasons.
Notwithstanding tho s~tationartness OF It's
population. may still 10 olassed among them
When one links what international politics
were only a hundred years aso-how SUI
preme France then appeared. how I'm
portant were Austria. Italy. Spain. and
even COUNTRIES like Holland. Denmark
and sweden-we may surely recognize
that with q comparatively new United
States on the stage. and with Powers Ike
Russia and Germany come 10 the front.
the world IL all changed politically a. well
M economically. and that new passions
and new hvalries have 10 be considered.
Tho figures also suggest that for some
time at least the changes going on must
aocentuate tho change that has occurred.
According TO the latest figures. there Ia
no Sign that either In France. or any other
European country which has been cUm-
pnatively stationary. has any movement
OF population commenced which will re-
verse the change while a large growth OF
population goes on In the leading countries
named. This growth. It Il alleged. 10 going
on st q diminishing rate. bat In the next
generation or two there Is practically no
doubt that the United States will be alarger
international factor than IL Il. both Also
htely and relatively. and that Russia.
Germany and the English people Of the
British Empire will also grow. though not
Ia such a way. apparently. a. TO prevent
the greater relative growth Of the United
States. and notwithst anding. perhaps,
some relative changes OF a minor character
among themselves. The foreign nations.
then. with which the British Empire Ia
likely 10 be concerned In tho near future,
are Russia. Germany and the United States.
and other Powers. even France. must
more and more occupy a second place,
although France. for the moment. partly
In consequence OF It's relations with Rus
da. occupies n special place.
Sir Robert Ginen then draws attention
to the increasing dependence Of European
nations upon supplies Of food and raw
material obtained from abroad. What h
true Of the United Kingdom u true In a
greater OF less degree Of other European
countries. Especially Ia II true In a 70 |
marksble degree Of Germany. which Ia
becoming increasingly Industrial and
manufacturing. and where room for ex-
pansion In agriculture u now very limited.
The import Of foreign food into Ger
many increased In tho ten years iSss-'es
by Just; 100 per cent. The imports OF raw
and northumberland materials into
Germany In the same period Increased
by 90 per cent. Germany and tho United
Kingdom are thus becoming more and
more alike. What their position is 20 be
economically and otherwise relatively 10
the United States. which Ia at once the
main source OF supply and . competitor
With Eur opean COUNTRIES In manufactures.
IA obviously q matter OF no little interest,
aid Sir Robert Glncn. and added
AS a believer in free trade ! am SURF
that nothing but good will come 10 all the
countries concerned II trade Ia interfered
with NJ little as possible by tariffs and Gov
eminent regulations. ! believe. moreover.
that the practice Of free trade. whatever
their theories may be. will unavoidably
be accepted by all three countries before
long. Obviously, however. as the new
tariff In Germany indicates. there Is 20 be
a great struggle In that country before the
situation is accepted. and II some people
In this country had their way. notwith-
standing our long experience Of free trade
and its blessings. we should even have a
struggle here
Sir Robert then considered another point
Of view from which these facts should lie
studied In the following passage:
I'VE arr accustomed. and rightly 20. I
think. 10 consider naval preponderance