The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-12-05
PLACEOF QDFASR|ON[D
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
DR.. Meyrick Booth Gives Result
of His Studies Regarding
Nations
Progressing Nations Are Those
Among Whom Old-Fashioned
Religion Holds Place
Decrease in Population in Prot
estant Countries-Catholics
and Jews Only Show
Increase

DR.. Meyrick Booth contributes an
article in "The Hilbert Journal" in
which he lays down law proved by
the result of his studies in the matter,
namely, that the rising nations of the
world are those In which the old-fash-
Toned religious beliefs hold their place
before all other considerations. In
Protestant countries of the present
day, he points out, there has been a
noticeable decrease in population and
where, as in Germany, manifest in
crease is Marked statistics go to
show, he says, that the increase is to
be noted in the Catholic or Jewish re-
gions. A decline, he shows, has been
noted in England during the past few
decades, yet during the same period
(18S1-191D the Irish birth-rate has
actually risen by some 5 per cent,
while the Dublin rate has gone up by
over IL per cent. 1t is fact, he says,
that those English towns which have
shown the smallest decrease in birth
rate are, in general, those in which
either Jews or Catholics are most
numerous. Liverpool, Manchester and
Glasgow are among the prolific towns
in Britain and these are largely Irish
and Jewish. The seven most populous
boroughs of London are also those
which contain the greatest number of
Catholics. In the large cotton manu-
facture towns of Lancashire, a de-
crease of births has been noted during
the past fifteen years, with one town
proving an exception, namely, Preston
1t is precisely in Preston, says Dr.
Booth, that the Catholic Church is
strongest.
The Doctor quotes the Catholic Year
Book for 1914 which gives the birth
rate per one thousand inhabitants for
the previous year. 1t stands for Cath
olics at 1856 per 1000 while the gen.
eral rate for Protestant England and
Wales is "a per thousand. In non.
Catholic England, says Booth, who is
not himself Catholic, the birth-rate
has fallen over so per cent during the
past forty years. Taking the test to
France, DR.. Booth shows that the BIRTH
rate is on the decrease everywhere in
that country in which the agnostic or
atheistic element is most strongly in
force. In the really Catholic parts of
France, such as Brittany, the rate of
births per thousand inhabitants is, he
says, in excess of that in either Eng
land or Germany. He quotes the "a
nous political economist, Leroy. Beau
lieu, as expressing the opinion that
the Catholic Church tends by means
of its whole atmosphere to promote a
natural increase in population, since
(said Beaulieu) it condemns egoism,
materialism and also inordinate am
bition for self or family. In Germany
matters are very much as in France.
There has been for some years a
steady increase in the Catholic ele-
ment. Between 1900 and 1910 the
Catholics have increased by rs per
cent, while the Protestant population
has increased by only 10 per cent. To
those who are acquainted with the
splendid revival of Catholic influences
in the Fatherland within the past
twenty years the figures will contain
no mystery.
Dealing with the United States, DR..
Booth admits that they are becoming
"a great stronghold of the Catholic
Church." as he puts it. The New Eng
land States, the original home of
American Puritanism, are, he says,
now important centers of Catholicism.
He cites Massachusetts, with over one
million Catholics as against about half
million Of all Protestant churches
combined. In Illinois he points to Q
million Catholics as against the next
strongest body, the Methodists, with
three hundred thousand adherents. In
New York State there are two million
three hundred thousand Catholics and
about 100000 Methodists as the next
strongest body. He also shows that
wherever in the United States the