Evening star., 1922-08-20
German and French Birth Rate.

FRAEKFORT.-A writer from
Frankfort, in the Paris Eclair, COM
pares the respective populations OF
France and Germany and claims that
fifty years hence Germany will have
80, coo. coo inhabitants and France
scarcely $4,000. 600. He says:
"Swarms of children are to be seen
in the gardens and parks and they
are increasing rapidly in the poorer
quarters of the town. Coming from
France the difference is striking, dis
tressing, in fact Germany is not only
passing through a period of remark
able prosperity. but in spite of her
losses in the war. in spite Of the
blockade. the food restrictions and
the high prices with which she is
contending. she is giving proof of the
most extraordinary fecundity.
Germans progress during the last
century has been remarkable. still
more remarkable even than that of
our Latin sister Italy. who has doub-
led the total of her population in a
hundred years. in 1916 Germany had
24,s33,o00 inha bitants. and in 1914, on
the eve of the war. she had 67.7s00o0.
That is to say. that in less than a
hundred years her population had al
most trebled.
"If we take a recent period from
1865 to 1914. France gained in this
space of time 100000 inhabitants,
while Germany had the huge increase
Of 27.to0.o00 inhabitants.
Germany lost about 100000 peo-
pie through the territorial clauses OF
the Versailles treaty. and these have
been attributed respectively to
France. Belgium. Poland and Den
mark; besides this she lost nearly
two million men in the war.
'In 1918 statistics showed an in
crease Of 2se.eso births. and in 1920
Of 623,367 births, not including Neck
ienburg and .Wurttemberg. During the
five years Of war the civilian popula-
ton of Germany increased by 744.oS7
inha bitants. which explains that the
census of the Sth of October gives
Germany a population Of 5s.5oo'ooo
inha bitants.
"The increase in the birth rate is
still continuing. In the first six
months 81 1921 II amounted to 1868, 900.
which would give a total for the
whole year of more than 100000.
at this rate Germany will soon MI
peace ana will regain her pre- war level
in about ten years time. Taking into
account the enormous number of
repatriated persons caused by the ter
ritorial amputations. the population
Of Germany must at the present time.
y,f< s,k kN
81. 600, 900. while that Of France
scarcely amounts to $4,000. 900.
ITS surface ID not more than 1884,
$50 sduark miles. but there are about
$40 inhabitants to the sduafe mile. an
extraordinary proportion. And II is
many is unable to feed all her people
ana that she is Obliged, by the very
force of things. to seek some field Of
expansion, at the present time In
Russia. II is the famous 'Drang mach
Osten' come to life again.
"The following table shows the
progress of Germany compared with
that Of France during 1920:
n;,ths s3l.O0O laIo. ON
Reeisse seis; 81 birthi in TO-. ' '0''''
A!sssie 81 issaDise1hs os a..as. in TO- 10
s,.ss..i oos inn;Ss,ss: :; s,.,s: !, 10. '7s iss
66o inhabifenfs .. Al los
tThe recent statistics show a rapid
fall In marriages in France ana new
crisis In the birth rate.
DO we mean to remain with our
arms crossed in face Of this danger
which ID threatening us. a danger
which Ii all the more serious because
we run the risk Of being submerged
shortly by our prolific neishbors? II
the present proportions continue. in
6Yty years time Germany Will have