The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-12-25
THE LAND OF EMPTY CRADLES.

The Red Series, the newspapers call the
daily list of murders and the satanic crimes of vio
lence in Paris, in the large Cities and in the prov
inces, is not as some French optmists declare,
passing phase. The French voting public has
broken with Christianity has scattered the seeds
of independent thought and independent morality
in the burrows of society," and France is now reap
ing the, harvest Not alone as prophet but as
student of history did Isaas declare: "The people
who will not serve God shall perish" and France is
today in fulfllment of the prophets declaration,
a nation drifting to It's ruin.
Statistics show the tide of crime in France. dur
ing the last thirty years. has been as In the United
States steadily rising, the figures almost doubled
IN that period.
What criminologists like the late Signor LON
broso, regard a most disquieting symptom is the
enormous proportional increase of Juvenile crime
The proportion Of murders and attempted murders
the part of young people between the ages of
16 and q is startling. The bands of armed
"Apaches" thugs, thieves and murderers-which
infest Paris for the most part boys between 16
and 90, whose parents are enemies of all religion
and all constituted authority.
But this increase of young criminals is not the
most serious symptom of national decay. Two
=
known as Catholic France" her population was
forty per cent of that of the great powers of Eu-
rope. One hundred and fifty years ago the drift
from the Christian harbor began and today her pop
ulation has shrunk to twelve per cent. How to FIJI
her empty cradles is the problem Frenchmen are
trying to solve.
The fact that in the year 1908 there were 28,2o3
more deaths than births in France recalls the words
of the famous Won Molke to Bismarck that Scr
many will never again be forced into a war with
France, for France will destroy itself" One hun
dred years ago the population of France numbered
Onefourth of Europe; today its population is one
eighth. All the nations of Europe are profiting
by the sad example of the lingering death of
France which, if she continues to perpetuate race
suicide upon herself, will in time reduce her to a
third power.
There are no statesmen in France today and
politicians are poor mathematicians.
In 100 the population of France was 10000.
600; of Great Britain and Ireland. 100000: of
Austria, 100000 The populations of these coun-
tries today are France, 100000; Great Britain
and Ireland, 100000; Austria, 47.OO0OOO. More
over, the population of these nations is increasing
except France, whose people are diminishing. al
any other great country That last year there were
several thousands deaths than births in
France is an alarming fact. Facts are stubborn
things to deal with and French economists and mil
itary men are at last becoming alarmed In their
despair the patriots of France have founded the
Popular League of Fathers and Mothers of NJ
merous Families" and "The National Alliance for
the Increase of the French Population"
The patriots" have enlisted the cooperation of
the great railway companies, both state and pri-
vate, and have prevailed upon them to grant sup
Elementary allowances, amounting to about three
francs the week, to those of their employees who
have large families.
A few weeks ago willy politician, knowing the
amlable weakness of his countrymen for ribbons.
proposed the establishing of a new "Order of
Merit" whose decorations were to be bestowed on
the sires of large families
Dr. Jacques Bertillon, chief of the statistics bu-
reau of the city of Paris and president of the Ma
tional Alliance, has delved deeply into the prob
lem, but confesses his inability to solve it. unless
the state returns to the monarchical law of primo
genature; that is, willing the land estate or prop
erty to the eldest son, who cannot dispose of it.
but must hold it intact for his eldest son or heir
and SO on.