Evening star., 1925-06-07
MOST NATIONS LEAD II. 6.
In GETTING OUT VOTERS
Record Once Held by America Goes to
New Zealand and Queensland.
Britain in Running.

France votes fully 20 per cent of its
electorate on the average, and in some
districts makes a higher rating. Nor
way and Sweden rank well up with
Belgium and Denmark. In the Nor
way election Of 1920. 76 per cent of the
men and so per cent of the women
voted, with total average Of about
II per cent. In the prohibition refer
endum Of 1922, Swedish women in
Stockholm, the capital. cast So per
cent or the city vote, thereby showing
that the vote Of women depends upon
the issue.
In the recent parliamentary election
IN Italy about 81 per cent of the total
adult population, men and women.
voted. So Italy beats a majority Of
our New England and Middle Atlantic
states in its voting percentage. not
withstanding Italy's high illiteracy
percentage.
Switzerland voted 76 per cent of its
electorate in the 1922 elections. In
referendum proposing to give the
authorities large powers in putting
down political revolutions and general
strikes, the popular vote reached 50
per cent Of the total voting electorate,
defeating the proposition by narrow
margin.
The Canadian Provinces are making
far higher present record at the
polls than their sister states below
the boundary. Eastern Canada, in.
Guiding Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia,
New Brunswick and Prince Edward
has a million less population than
New England, but casts from a half
million to a quarter million more
votes. The Canadian voting average
seems to approximate about 10 per
cent of the voting population, against
the American so per cent.
Latin America is the only section
of the globe where Uncle Sam seems
at present to be able to point TO find
lighter average vote at the polls
than the American so per cent Latin
American states have to cope with an
Indian and negro illiteracy of 40 to
so per cent. Even at that, the last
Cuban election, and likewise the
recent Mexican election, polled close
to so per cent Of the qualified voting
population.
Cuban Showing Good
Cuba makes twice as good a show
ing at the polls as Florida across on
the American side Of the Gulf Stream
and Mexico in its last presidential
election delivered at the polls more
| than twice as high a percentage of its
total adult population as the average
for our Gulf States. Some Of our
Southern States have a colored popu-
lation with 10 to 20 per cent of litter
| acy; but Mexico has to wrestle with
40 per cent illiteracy. Down in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in Cru-
quay, the vote appears 10 be about
60 per cent Of the electorate So
Uncle Sam gets little consolation even
from pointing southwark for "odious
! comparisons" Latin America is build
ing schools and sending out volunteer
teachers to cope with illiteracy. II
Uncle" does not wake up soon. even
Latin America will be pointing north
as the place to locate the champion
stay-at-home voter country.
One American record, however, Mr.
Michelet finds unbeaten. That was in
the days Of Boss Tweed, when 108 per
cent of the voters of New York City
were canvassed in the popular vote
That record, however, is not cited as
model. Finally, Mr.. Michelet wants
to know if American voters made an
so per cent average at the polls in
1880 down to 1886 why not now?"