New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-31
Birth Control in France
Blu Harrison Reeres

,endents everywhere told me mat 'ne gins
ord even the old women. operating the mus
extensive and intricate machines wnieh ma.
inst been imported from America TO turn ou
munitions more rapidly than the older reucn
and English models, soon succeeded III eo'"
,bo work as well as skilled mechanics anu
,,;.b vary little more wear and tear on the
machines. and the returning French factory
hand will find himself in competition Wiz"
lsborcrs who can live for less than he can
Under the present arrangement the govern
ment regulates wages. and the women arr
earning handsome sums. If 1t we're queS
ton of supply and demand they would IT,
ceive far less The present high scale l.
really an ind rect pension, the government
paying higher prices for munitions IN orue'
that the manufacturers may pay hlgner wages
10 d population which could not I'VE on tHe
allowances provided by law TOY soldiers ue-
pendents.
These women are contented with their lo''
They will certainly not leave industry after
the war unless they are forced out by the
state. for economic conditions viii not force
them out. but will rather employ them more
intensivoly Il is certain that the women IN
industry will have no children to speak OF.
Erperience with the women already in indus
try has shown what to expect from these new
recruits. There are the peasants, of course
representing some four-ffths of the total
population. but their measure has been taken
and students of the question despair of in
creasing their product.
Few Remedies Practical
There are but few measures for the keep
ing up Of the French birth rate which can be
taken seriously The best opinion appears 10
be that nothing can be hoped for from re-
vval Of superstition. the state of culture Oh
the country being too high for il. An appear
on simple patriotic grounds would probably
secure no result worth taking into account
The temptation Immediately after the war to
keep the women at work Will be great, lot
German competition will have to be met as
we'll as American and English. Some soclo.o-
gsts think that a change in the laws govern
.ng Inheritance would do something 20 I'M
prove the situation among the hopeless peas
antry. It is felt that the dangers to the race
of importing African or Oriental laborers
would be so great az to more than counter
balance the good economic effects.
Personally. | doubt whether legal cam
paign against birth control would do any
good It will probably be undertaken as a
desperate measure. There is one thing, how
ever, which the government can do 10 re-
move women from industry. but it must be
at the cost of an economic disadvantage which
cannot but be serious adverse influence in
the rapid reconstruction Of France. If one
were limited TO few cons iderations i'm deal
ing with the changes which France must un-
dertake if she wishes 10 maintain her place
in the world as "frst-class" power-intel-
ectually, economically and mlitsrily one
would be on surest ground in indicating three
things enormously increased industry
operating in the modern scientific spr. which
prevails in Germany and, 10 a certain extent,
in America; more scientific development IN
agriculture. permitting of greater productv-
ty with fewer persons. and. perhaps more I'M
portan, than the others. more powerful
state, permitting of the creation of deeper
social instinct and bringing with it the talent
IN diplomacy and arms upon which the very
existence of the nation may depend at any
time in the future, as il has so frequently in
the past