The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-12-01
DECLINING BIRTH RATE.

Sociologists. economists, moralists
aud other students OF human welfare
are generally agreed in lamenting the
mics tho progress of civilization.
statesmen have devoted anxious hours
TO the study of the problem, for they
have assumed that national security
was involved in rapid increase Of pop
ulation. French authorities have for
many years been trying to devise
means to promote the raising of large
families. and to that end has offered
pensions and bonuses for families ovcr
a certain size. England is disturbed
Germany is showing symptoms. of aux
icty OF tho same subject. In. the Uni,
ted states the birth rate of families
resident in the country for a.few gor-
craticns is very low. and most OF the
natural increases OF our population is
from Immigrant families who have
been hut a short time across the wa
Ter.
We sometimes question whether all
the anxiety on this subject is o
needless. Take the case of France.
With the smallest birth rate in Eu-
rope, France is one Of the most pros
porous countries. Her industries are
productive and her people sober, in
dustrious and thrifty. 1t is true that
i'll France the margin between births
and deaths is very narrow. and it is
possible hat al this time there are
more deaths than births. That. of
course. gives cause for e be.
cause the dying out of a race is not
"a pleasant thing to contemplate.
But. so long as the population Of a
country is doing somewhat better than
holding its own. is there any reason
TO be concerned over it? Is it not
true that many Of our ideas on the
subject of population are inheritances
from primitive days. when tribe war
red against tribe, and the birth rate
bore a direct relation to the ability
of the tribe to maintain itself on the
face of the earth and keep its posses
sions intact? Then the large family
was a tribal necessity. And, as hui
man beings associated themselves on
larger groups. and other forms of
government were devised, and other
methods of fighting were adopted, it
was the nation rather than the tribe
that needed children in great mum.
bers. for there were men.to be taken
away to fight men who never return
ed, fed raw into. the bloody mouth
OF war. and others must be reared
to take their places. Frontiers were
to he guarded. cities we're to be sack
ed, coasts to be raided. territory to be
conquered. to be settled by men and
women to real more children to grow.
into stir more fighting men.
A vast deal of our worry over the
birth rate is due to the notion that
We must raise many men to be killed
OFT, otherwise we ourselves would be
wiped off the face of the earth. Ey-
cry civilized country has a declining
birth rate. Is this one of the sins for
which civilization is TO be held guilty,
or is it merely because in a state of
civilization society gets along as we'll
with fewer children?
OF course it o. without saying
that the childlessness of many couples
is due to pure, s%elfshness. Children.
interfere. with freedom to some extent.
and they are therefore unwelcome.
But this condition tends to take care
OF itself. That portion of society
which refuses to be bothered with
children dies out, and 1t is Just as
well. But the race is not dying out.
While fewer children are born fewer
die before maturity. and perhaps the
human race is increasing in numbers
as fast as its ability to. take care. OF
the increase in the proper manner.