Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-29
Population and Civilization.

France, with it's stationary popula-
ton. has long been held up by the
anti-raee suicidists as horrible ex-
ample The vital statistics, however,
do not show that the natural increase
of population in France proceeds at a
rate so very much smaller than in
other highly civilized countries The
births in France number about twenty
per thousand inhabitants per year
almost exactly the same as in Irelanl.
In Great Britain the rate is about
twenty five per thousand and in Ger
many about thirty per thousand 1t
should be noted. however, that the rel
atively high German. birth rate is due
entirely to the fecundity of the rural
population. The birth rate of Berlin is
lower than that e all France; and in
Charlottenburg. a city of $50 900 inhab
itants, and a suburb of Berlin, the rate
is under fourteen per Thousand per
annum.
The reason why population in
France remains stationary is the rela-
lively higher death rate. About
twenty per thousaHdEof the population
of France die every year. while i'll
Germany the mortality is nineteen
per thousands, in Great Britain six
teen and in Sweden fourteen per thou
sand.
The birth rate declines most rapidly
among the Well-to-do. This appears
not only from the comparison of the
rural and urban birth rate in Ger
many, but also from other available
statistical information. Among Eng
lish titled families, whose patents of
nobility date back 700 years or more,
seven was the average number Of chill
dren born To each couple i'll the
decade ended 1910; in the decade end
ed 1900 the number was three. The
confidential" census made by Sidney
Webb, the eminent English sociologist,
among 40 "intelectuals' indicates
that the average Rimber of children
per marriage was Mss than two In
an English beneficial society. whose
membership includes nearly 30o,00o
workingmen. and which advances
thirty ~shiliings as a lying-m benefit
to each members wife in the event OF
the claims diminished
from III per tllpusaaiiu IN lS"' ~ -
per thoupsand in recent years. This
indicates decline of more than 80
per cent. in the birth rate within a
period OF thirty years among the more
provident workingmens families of
England.
Conversely, the highest birth rates
are disclosed in the vital statistics OF
the more backward nations. Russia
has a rate of fifty per thousand
Hungary forty-one and Servia forty
four per thousand Of population. Nor
is a high birth rate indicative OF a
relatively high degree of vitality. The
is always greatest where
the birth rate is highest Therefore,
while smaller families are always as
sociated With the increase of wealth
and education. the phenomena need
cause no alarm There is no danger
of our civilization being swamped by
eruptions from the Sums or from the
backward races. The more highly
civilized nations hold their own, and
their natural increase keeps step with
the more backward. An interesting
item in this connection is the fact that
the natural Increase of population in
Japan is only ~ per thousand, where
as in Germany it is thirteen. in Great
twelve and in the United
States nearly 20 per thousand an.
nually.- Philadelphia Public Ledger.