The Alaska citizen., 1916-11-13
PUP PU[AT|ON OF
 FRANCE IS kOW
 AT LOWEST EBB

PARIS, October 10.-The population problem is passing from theory to practical effort in re-awakened France SoCiologists, savants and scientists had for years before the war pointed out the dangers of a declining birth rate. Nothing was done however, beyond the appointment of legislative commissions that never reported and, so far as the general public was con- cerned, it does not seem the danger was realized until the Germans made it real and operative at Charleroi by sending against the left wing of the allied armies masses of troops sui ficient to overwhelm them.
 Herosm, aided by different cir cumstances prevailed against superior numbers in the battles of the Marne and Nancy. In another case the con contributing circumstances might be lacking and heroism alone without numbers would not prevail.
 What happened at Charleroi, say the students of this question, might have been seen in figures before the war when the statistics showed three Germans born for every Frenchman. For the maintenance of peace after the war, they hold treaties may not be relied upon. The most potential deterrment will be an increased mum Der of soldiers.
 The population of France, which was 35 per cent of the total of the great powers of Europe in 1914 had fallen to sixteen per cent in 1913.
 In 17S9 France had 26,O00,0o0 against 2S,000,OO0 for all of the Ger man-speaking countries.
 In 1914 the population of the prin- cipal European countries was:
 France .................... 1000 Great Britain and Ireland. 9,000,0Q0 Austria .................... 3O,OoV,ouV Prussia ...................10,O00,OOV
 In 1880 the figures were:
 France ..................... hZoo'ooo Great Britain and Ireland .34, 8O0,000 Austrla .....'....''''''. o9'Ooo'Voo German Empire e..............4 45, ,GO0,OOO
 In 1913 the figures were:
 France ..................-. o9,oVV,UVV Great Britain and Ireland .4600O,000 Austria .................... ,OOO,OVo German Empire. ........... 6o,OOO,OOO Italy ..................... .36,3oV,OUV
 In the space of a single generation France had been passed by Germany in 1865, by Austria in 1880 and by Great Britain in 1895, and was being closely pressed by Italy.
 The gravity of the situation was shown by the figures of 1911 when there were 776,O0O deaths against 742,0OO births, a net loss of 3400O.
 At the outbreak of the war the Ger mans were in the proportion of 163 to 100, but in another twenty years the proportion would have been 300 to 100 in the natural rate of pro gression. This meant that the Ger mans had each year 550,000 recruits against 3OO,00O, while in twenty years they would have had 900,000 to 300,- 900 or less.
 These figures were known before the war, but they seem to have at tracted the attention of scientists only. It remained for the battles Of Charleroi and Morhange to impress their full significance upon more prac tical minds.
 Today business men and business associations, agricultural syndicates, chambers of commerce and leaders in all walks of life have taken the question up.
 All that had been done previous to the war was the granting by law in 1890 of a free scholarship in one oi the colleges to one of seven children of the same family. It is now gener- ally admitted that it is the first three or four that should be encour aged. This is the object of the pro posed law recently introduced in the Chamber of Deputies by Monsieur Paul BenaZet, deputy for the depart ment of the Indre. It provides a premium of 800 francs for each of the first and second children, 1000 francs for the third and 1000 francs for the fourth, and 1000 francs for each succeeding child. This will not be powerful incentive to the rich, | but it will be a boon to the poor.The 1 rich will be reached in other ways; by the force of public opinion, per haps, becoming so strong as to con stitute a formidable pressure; per haps by other proposed fiscal legis- | lation discriminating in favor of the |