The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1904-10-06
WHITE RACES DECLINING 2
Statistics That Show a Discouraging
Outlook for the People
Of Europe.

With tie possible exception OF Amer
lea, the people of all the larger white ma
lions are in a state of physical decline,
says the Kansas City Journal. These
facts are proved by the military records
which have been preserved. Nowhere Is
this decadence more noticeable than IN
Great Britain.
A royal commission appointed for the
purpose has made an investigation of the
physical condition of the people OF that
country and facts and figures taken from
the report published show a gloomy state
of affairs In England marriages are
decreasing and the birth rate is on the
decline In 1851 the birth rate was IS
per 1000; in 1891 it was 3157; in 1897 it
had dropped to 29.7; and in 1903 it was
but 2S5 per 1000. The number Of SOL
diars below feet inches in height has
Increased by nearly 100 per cent in the
last Is years. and the number Of those
measuring less than SO inches around
the chest mas increased from II per 1000
in 1888 to % per ] ,0G0 in 1903. In 1874
only 159 soldiers in 1000 weighed less
than 12O pounds. while the proportion in
1900 was 301 in 1000"
IN ireland conditions are even worse.
TIE report shows that in the last So
years more than 1000, 900 Irish citizens
have left that country for America or
ether shores ''The brain and Drawn of
Ireland" says the report, "have been
mostly transplanted to America, 1eav-
ing the island to be sustained by the
weakest element of the population"
The present residents of Ireland are
smaller in stature and weight and gen.
orally weaker than the Irish Of old, who
furnished soldiers and policemen for
the world
Scotland has long been looked upon
IS he home of the hardest race of peo-
nIe. Put the report of the commission
shows that the sandy-haired Scot has
'nst his great physical strength and
towers of endurance. and that the aver
sge boy of Scotland is PA inches shorter
End "a pounds lighter than the average
american boy.
The decreasing strength and fecundity
Of the white races is truly matter which
sho,ld awaken the l!velist concern In
:Hn nations affected Already Spain
and Italy have lost their vitality. France
is looked upon rather as decadent than
as an advancing nation, while year by
year the complaint as to smaller num-
Der of babies and weaker men and wom-
ca Is advancing nothward in Europe
and over to America The best intelli-
Eence has taken this deplorable condi-
ton under Amusement, but so far eff
forts have been directed more to finding
CIT the cause of the decline than its
remedy. Whether the white races which
formerly were so prolific as to swarm
over the world and Sc powerful as tc
take possession of it, are doomed to play
a subordinate part in the future. is not
yet known, but it is known that there
are no stories Of too few babies and dy-
ing nations now coming out of Asia In
almost all Asiatic countries the tendency
| is toward increase and improvement.
| White people seem to show their best
| Qualities under the hardships and de-
p-ivatiors of pioneer life In the wilder
nass. The brown and yellow races have
developed a capacity to endure The ad-
-orsities and poverty of civilization
| Unless the white races acquire this fac
u,ty to an equal degree. it. begins to
| look as if we have reached the limits
Of our greatness, for there are no more
wildernesses and uninhabited lands to
| conQuer