Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-27
Birth Rate in France.


article on the birth rate in France Prof.
Gumplowicz expressed therein the view
that the retrograde movement was des-
tined to continue; States he said. re-
garded as natural social formations are
subject to the memorable natural laws
OF development and disappearance. IT
do not say that a state is an organism
like plant, an animal, or a man. the
article continues but it is none the less
social formation which appears ac-
cording to natural laws, and, according
to those same laws. grows. produces a
culture, wanes and dies. Europea ms imag-
inc that their states must last eternally
This shows naivete on their part. They
will disappear like the states of old The
symptoms Of the decadence Of states are
high culture (civilization). and the
lowering of the birthrate. The higher
births and the nearer is disappearance:
the lower the culture the higher is the
number of births and the greater Is the
future. or. as we say, the life perspective
it could be altered. sociologists merely
state the laws of nature: as for seeking
to modify them. they leave that to poll
ticians and humanitarian philosophers"
wounding the. patriotic susceptibilities Of
the French. but he said the first duty
Of science was to recognize the truth.
The realistic sociologist had. however. a
potent salve at hand. What do the
French fear?" he asked. 1.-The suprem-
asy of the Germans as the result Of this
superior natality. Let them be reas-
sured. The Slavs of eastern Europe have
a still higher birth rate than the Germans.
France can live tranquil and happy for
centuries to come in spite of the small
number of her births She need no longer
fear the higher birth rate of Germany.
for whom the still higher birth rate Of
Russia Is subject of perpetual anxiety.
1Irf,, T. t1,sC fNS
a long time to come. thanks to this
favorable historical conjuncture.''
January 2, 1908. M. Paul Roy. French
man, the son of a horse dealer at Meuilly.
lea with his wife, formerly Miss Gracia
Gala Corkins, because he considered her
hat was too large. His brother-in-law.
Mr.. George Corkins. interfered. Both
men drew revolvers and fired and George
Corkins fell dead. year ago-that is to
Paul Roy was indicted in France on the
charge of willful murder. The case was
placed in the hands Of a French exam
lining magistrate, who colIated all the evil
dence available, which was not much. He
endeavored to induce the sister of the
dead man herself to- cross the Atlantic
to give evidence, but in vain. Under these
circumstances the magistrate has just de-
cided that no bill is to be found against
NJ Paul Roy. who is cleared of the charge
Young Writer Suicide.
M. Charles Demande. a young writer.
twenty-five years old. and a nephew Of
NJ. Maurice Barres. shot himself through
the head the other day in a hotel at
Epinal, whence he was to have left for a
tour in Italy. Two friends of his own
age who had spent the evening before
with him and had noticed nothing strange
in his manner called at his hotel in the
morning, intending to see him off to
Italy and found him dying in his room,
where he expired shortly afterward He
had lately published a book called lie
Livre du Desir." the title page of which
bore this perhaps prophetic inscription, a
quotation from Sophocles: "Thyself, too
sensitive youth, condemnest thyself to
suffer-
Mdlle. Polaire, an actress who is chiefly
waist, had row with a policeman some
weeks ago. At half-past IL in the morn
ing her motor car was standing outside
house In the FaubOurg Montmartre. which
she had entered to call on a friend. Her
chauffeur to beguile the time, opened
his grease box and a black shine oozed
on to the pavement. policeman threat
ened to summon him. whereupon this is
what happened. according to the police
man:
He CuduIIeuT Sdlu lie QlU nOI care d
dash for being summoned and poured a
quantity Of oil upon the pavement.
l thereupon took the number of the car.
AS i was doing so the lady owning the
car came out of the house and said to
me, What, another summons? I don't
cara a dash for your summons. I never
pay any fines on principle. AS for you,
/ know you get a dollar for each one.
Your are a parcel Of brutes and idiots.
You don't know your business. Go to
London to learn. Get out OF my way"
and she drove off.
Mile. Poiaire has accordingly appeared
In the police court on the horrible charge
called, legally, Outrage to an agent of
the public force while In the exercise of
his functions" She came herself. dressed
in white. with a black hat thirty-seven
times the diameter Of her waist. and con-
Quoted her case herself. with the assist
ance of counsel. Mile. Polaire was fined
$40.
Leontine Crozatier. who Is only seven
teen years of age. is under arrest for at
tempting to poison NJ. Pothier, a milk
dealer by whom she was employed as
servant NJ. Pothier showed symptoms
of poisoning. and, suspicion falling on the
girl, she was questioned by the examining
and admitted havinl> put cor
rosive sublimate in the food. She de-
clared that she had done this at the In
stigation Of M. Pothiers son, a boy OF