Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-18

lHouBn the amount of liquor consumed per
capita shows decided Increase Murder
burglary and suicide are the most notable
FORMS OF criminal manifestation and over
pWo-thirds of all the criminals convicted
OF any onense were laborers, charwomen
or needlewomen. The effect of education
In reducing crime, especially among inv
emile Offenders, has been shown very plain
!y and illiteracy Is either conducive or CO.
incident with criminal instinct, for over
eight-tenths OF all convicted criminals were
either illiterate or possessed the bare rudi-
ments.
Decline in Marriage Rate.
Inc decline in the marriage rate is most
noticeable outside of London. The figures
ior the whole country show, however, q
marked decline, though the decline In the
plumber of births has been twice as great
Inc birth rate in England in 1897 was 297
per Thousand and during the past year it
mas fallen to 2S.5, a decline of IL per cent
rms same tendency to a declining birth
rate has been noticed of recent wears in all
the countries of western Europe though
even In France. where the birth rate has
or opped IA per cent, the falling off is not so
great rs in Great Britain which amounts to
II per cent. The reports from the British
colonies have given an unenviable notoriety
to Australia as showing a decline In the
birth rate of ever 30 per cent.
There is total of 23,997 charitable or
CARNATIONS recorded with the national COM
missioners. These organizations maintain
an invested capital of $125, 900 600, the regu-
lar income from which last year amounted
to 50 100000. The enormous sums of money
presented by voluntary subscribers in addi-
ton to this amount represent In reality only
part of the expenditure of the English
people toward the support OF the destitute
and deficient
Chronic criminality and chronic pauper-
ism are notable features of the statistics as
shown by an analysis thereof. Considera-
bly, over half of the people sent to prison
N, -~V,~ 1o- s,gl
sertencs at some previous time in their
lives and a large number of them were
,habitual criminals more familiar with the
interior of jaiIs than with the freedom of
the world outside. There is form of pau
perism In London which does not come
within the domain of statistics, for the peo-
pie so afflicted just manage to keep from
official notice. They make their living
through private charity or through osten-
sibly following some minor occupation.
their patrons bestowing their trade more
from charitable instinct than for value re-
,ceived. The records for the current year
will show a much larger demand upon the
charitable resources of the people. owing to
the Industrial depression which has affect
ed a number of the manufacturing prov
inces and where thousands of people have
been thrown out of employment for many
weeks through the scarcity of cotton, or
other raw materials to operate the mills
or from the effects Of foreign competition
upon the Industries from which they were
wont to obtain living.
Low Standard Of Recruits.
For several years past the physical stand
ard of requirements for the British army re-
crnit has been considerably lower than that
of the American army. 1t was said at the
beginning of the Boer war when men were
being enlisted in England for service in At
RIGA that If the American standard had been
applied to the men accepted that at least
two-thirds of them would have failed Of ac-
oeptance The physical requirements are
even Jess today than they were then and
because of necessity, for the material which
has presented itself for enlistment In the
British army is not of a description fiatter-
ing to the physique of this nation.
An English army officer recently said that
the stature and chest of the average man
had so dwindled that If an attempt was
made to enlist on the standard Of twenty
would be rejected The British recruits
come mostly from the laborfng and farming
classes Mil hands and mechanics furnish
the next largest percentage, though not
a few clerks and shop employees apply for
the kings shilling. The largest number of
reflections are from the first-named classes,
laborers and farm hands. and the cause of
their physical deficiency is entirely attribut-
ed to insufficient food and insanitary living.
The Inspector generals Office has discov-
cred that a bad condition of body and a dull
mind are apparently ,nseparable. and Lord
Roberts has expressed decided preference
for an army of Intelligent Soldiers as being
better fighting material than an army of
ignorant men, no matter how brave or will
ing. Out of every thousand recruits ac-
cepted by the British army last year an
average Of only sixty-seven had even fair
education A great many of the men who
are accepted as recruits become invalids
shortly after their enlistment showing that
they were more Or less defective when en-
tering the service. The average strength Of
the British army for ten years past has
been about million men. and in that time
over seven hundred thousand have been adj
mitted to the hospitals. forty Thousand have
been constantly sick, twenty thousand have
been invaded and about five thousand have
died.
While the English people are apparently
becoming less sturdy race than of yore,
they ire none the less confident that they
are supreme in the worlds affairs and al
ways to remain so. The Englishman will
acknowledge that conditions are very bad In
this or that direction. but he is always per-
fectly sure that things will work out in the
end to the advantage of his own nation, and
with this persistent optimism assisted by
logged perseverance in pursuing his own
way in the manner he likes best, he contfn-
ues to accomplish many things apparently
impossible to nations with better COM.
parative equipment. ]. d. WHELPLEY