The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-01-23
Condition More Vital Than An
other War--Or Than
Ten Others.
YELLOW SPECTER IS seen
United States Looked To as Savior,
With National Decay as Wars Aft
ermath-MiddIe Glass Most
Affected-Babies Fewer
in Germany.

London.-"Well, it's not>my funeral"
said the sprucely dressed young Eng
lishman with a collar of pre-war glossi-
ness, reading out the following para
graph In the corner of a London club:
"The birth rate per 1000 persons
living in England and Wales In 1918
was IT., as compared with BAL per
1000 In the ten years 1S51-60. The
rate in Cheshire is only 1919 per 1000,
and that in London 16.1. The end or
the war shows no check in what is
really national suicide. =,
Its not my funeral" he repeated.
But it was.
1t was not only his funeral, but per-
haps the funeral Of a race. "D-n
posterity !" said the Irishman. What
has posterity ever done for meT' The
European is saying the same.
This is no scare. 1t is a fact. 1t Is
more vital than another European
war-or than ten others. 1t Is more
mortal than the influenza. 1t is more
dangerous than an anarchist bomb in
every street. For Europe, it is the
only thing that matters.
1t Is a very old world.
Here in London at election time we
run two giant ladders side by side up
the face Of one of our tallest buildings.
AS the results come In, the figures on
the ladders, representing the Liberal
and tory parties, race each other up
the building. Rearing their height
over Europe's weary, war worn
masses, two ladders are seen today.
On one is the figure Of death. On the
other, the figure of a little rosy child,
death racing against life. And death
is winning.
1.-THE End Of the Race"
1.-THE End of the Race" a current
cartoon, shows Europe's last baby in
the year 1000. A halo Is shown about
it's wizened head. It's bones show
through it's tortured skin. 1t Is sur
rounded by adoring millions OF aged
Europeans Of both sexes, the last OF
their ace. 1t Is only a cartoon.
But?
In the death that comes In the roar
Of q gun and the crash Of a shell we
have forgotten the death Of the great
| silence.
Twenty years ago France used to be
held up as Europe's horrible exam
| ple-France, the country where
after America, the baby was king
There are those who say today that
the war has completed what the
French nation began. There are
skilled sociologists who believe thai
France, once the glory of the ole
world, is dying-dying because she re
fuses to live. Patriotism and pride
keep closed the mouths Of her grea
men. But is not today's Europe
greater France?
Except in this one thing figures car
be made to prove anything. But tn
mathematics of birth and death ar
memorable. There is no room 70
doubt.
Europe, to use a pungent American
ism, is ION the toboggan." There ar
OmenS us pOTtchsouS ohu
as that sinking feeling before sea
sickness. Bonuses for babies is Eu
ropes. Here in England we hav
already raised that S. 0. 8. Franc
tried it and failed. Will Europe?
The above applies to all classes, blu
TO the middle class 1t with fate
full intensity.
Middle Class Most Affected.
While, with better conditions, a fal
ing death rate among the workin
classes has during the last 30 year
to some extent compensated for a fal
ing beth rate, the accentuated fall q
the middle class birth rate has no fa.
ing death rate of any kind to compe,