The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-11-02
CARDINAL LUCON
 DISCUSSES BIRTH
 RATE DURING WAR

Paris, Nov. 1-Cardina1 Lucon,
 Archbishop of Rheims, whose seventy
 two years doA not prevent him from l sticking to his shell-battered post, has found time to continue his campaign against the depopulation of France, a 1 subject upon which he is a recognized
 authority He has written for The I Associated Press views on the effect of war upon the birth rate that are particularly interesting in view of the
 revival of religious interest shown by increased attendance at all religious
 services through France.
 The origin of 2 the question: ,'' he
 writes, s'is obviously in ehildless mar
 riages.. ~Find out why marriages are
 chi1d1ess and we may find where the remedy lies. Economists have point ed out debauch. unhealthy literature. saIeohoI,1 seIfishness and avarfce as some of the causes; they have accord pression of vice, censorship of 1itera- ture, prohibition of alcohol, public aid to large families with relief from nni1t-s tary duties, ensured e1np1oyn ent, lighter taxes on fat-1ers and heavier burdens on bachelors and childless married men.
 ..All these methods are good as far as they go;- all should be tried since every man who loves his country can not be indifferent to the growth of a real vice, am ountir to a social dis ease, which imperils not only the prosperity but the existence of a na- ton.
 tThe war will accentuate the cam paign against depopulation by com polling attention to the moving down of so many men in the flower of their age, the suppression of many sources of life. It will no doubt hasten the adoption of some if not all the measures proposed but ece- homie methods do not take a mans l soul into account; so long as the con l science is untouched. so long will economic measures be fruitful. Religion reaches, governs and mod l flies the intimate thoughts that govern | mans actior1sEinspires him to duty l that is imposed by the most in ndisputa-I b1e authorityE that of his Creator. It | also assures to duty done a reward l that infinitely surpasses in value and duration the heeting troubles and. sac | rifices imposed by duty
 Under the influence. of religion obedience to the laws of the married | state become spontaneous and gener- ous through the most powerful per | sonal interests that it encourages. To | those that close the sources of life in | order to escape fatigue and trouble | or to avoid the division of inheritanees and assure to their heirs lives of pleas ure without work. religion recalls that | the conjE gal state was not instituted | by the author of nat ure for the satis- l faction of the senses, or for the per sonal enjoyment of two persons-that | man here below has other interests than that of personal satisfaction; other riches than those of the | earth.
 tffTo everyone religion shows the | nobility of fatherhood which asso-
  of God; thereby they contribute to the giving of life to his children whose souls are immortal and whom God | destines to eternal happiness
 Let us then rehabilitate-re-in- spire these religious beliefs; with them will be reborn, Christian ways and with Christian ways will again come and through love, of the holy laws i of marriage and of the family, and, in a large proportion, the rebuilding of the home.
 f'I do not pretend that religion may. of itself, cure the evil. I merely : point out that therein is found for Christians the most powerful succour against the evil-the most eff1cacious encouragement to the duty which we seek to stimulate.
 We must not forget that the task of married people is grave and ardu- ous; the duties of parents are heavy, above all among the classes that de- pend on their daily work for their daily bread. I have 1abored among such for 20 years and have often re- ceived the condolences of honest fath- CTS of families who, with only their m oldest daily earnings to live upon, asked themselves whether they should risk having more children that they could feed. Religious considerations were the only ones that could en- and give support to such fath- CTS; their reliance was confidence in