Evening star., 1937-03-14

lions Of hungry, elbowing infants in
order to make everybody perfectly Sc
cure, including the neighbors.
However much of a non-sequitur
this type Of reasoning may appear to
you and me, 1t has been accepted with
out question in Moscow and Berlin
Months ago the Russian newspaper
Pravda rejoicingly declared that the
population Of the Soviet republics had
increased by 25 per cent since the
revolution in 1917 and added, "Our
tempo must break all records in this
field, too" This, of course, will not
happen if Mussolini and Hitler can
coerce the progenital inclinations Of
their own subjects. But the Russians
have been going sufficiently well to
predict boldly that the total popula-
ton of the u S. S. R. (now 170,000,-
ooO) will reach 3Oo,OOo,o00 by 1871.
Last June Stain issued DEGREES cur
failing divorces, encouraging large
families and outlawing abortions-all
measures obviously designed to In
crease the birth rate Within month
! divorces had been reduced by Sc per
cent, and, although later statistics are
not available, within the past few
weeks, however, Moscow has revealed
with what earnestness the Soviet
state is carrying on its "birth-encour-
agement" program. Its appropriation
for care of mothers and infants now
totals 3,173 100000 rubles, while an
other 1,l08,oOO,0oO rubles is being
| io1 INC, ND o1
ances to pregnant and confined wom-
en-. These sums are aside from l00,-
100000 (rubles or dollars not specifed)
which are used as bounties to mothers
who have five children or more.
Among all the baby recruiting"
relationships the Nazi regime in Ger
many has perhaps been the most per-
sistent and methodical. One of the
earliest measures decreed by the Hit
Ter government in 1888 was birth
rate stepper-upper. The Naz pro-
gram, in part, has been copied by
Mussolini just 10 days ago. 1t pro-
vides "marriage-aid" loans from the
state to aspiring honeymooners Of
poor circumstances, these averaging
500 marks (s150) per couple. 1t also
grants special tax reductions for large
families, the reductions mounting pro-
portionately as the kinder come along.
A year ago the Reich added one more
mducement by offering monthly bon-
uses for families of more than four
children--a s4-a-month stipend for
all five-children families whose in
come was less than $50 month.
A month income on which
to support seven persons may not
sound like Utopia to the spoiled chill
dren of democracy, but you must re-
member that these particular chill
dren are not to be spoiled-unless by
mustard gas or some such military
refinement Even SO, they will have
been forewarned in the words of that
slogan which graces many Hitler
, Jugend camps-"We Were Born to
Die for Germany"
Increase in Germany.
Whatever the motive or the ultimate
fate, there can be no question that
births have increased decidedly in the
Third Reich since the Hitler propa-
gation-fo patriotism laws were de-
creed. In August, 1885, DR.. Wilhelm
Frick, the Nazi minister of the in
terror, informed convention on the
science of population that Hitlerian
measures had increased the number
> of births in Germany in their first
year O934 by 224,oO0, or 23.4 per
cent. DR.. Frick insisted, nevertheless,
; that the German birth rate was still
insufficient to maintain the Reich's
level of population. He said: If
, parents are not in a position to rear
the child, then the commonwealth, Of
which the child is later to be a men,
Der, must come to the rescue"
THE Nazi policy seems to be that
the state cannot possibly come to
the rescue of too many children, pro-
: vided especially that they are males.
In the dictator lands it's mans
| world. And, to quote the recent re-
! mark of Col. Reinecke of the German
: war Office Gn an address to school
, teachers, Everybody realizes that
+ children cannot be given military edu-
{ cation early enough" On this creed,
: baby recruiting is fast becoming a
science-a fact which must be realized
: first Of all, by the future parents O!
, future soldiers.
In fairness to the European dictators
' perhaps it should be recorded that
the fear of declining birth rates today
is general among the nations Of the
, Western World. Authorities on popu.
? lation issue similar warnings for most
countries inhabited by the white race
1t is predicted that the population
: of England and Wales (now 40,5O0,-
000) will fall to 100000 within SO
$ years. Our American experts prophesy
). that the United States will hit q
peak of approximately 150000,000 per-
sons around 1860 or 1870. France i
l alarmed by the fact that her popu.
i lation is virtually stationary, with hel
e death rate almost equaling her birth
q rate, while Austria is harassed by what
is said to be the lowest birth rate in the
S world. In fact, the widespread stork
! crisis is harassing great many
e biometricians, as we'll as generals
S almost everywhere east of Asia. Out
4 there Japan maintains her unique
and proud position as the world.
\ greatest producer of babies, with 6
t birth rate (32.7 per 1000 inhabitants)
= which is twice that of France anc
g more than twice that of England anc
e Germany.
r On the basis of the baby-counters
y statistics, then. it might appear thai
: the European dictators had some Justi.
I, fication for their birth-encouragemen
e campaign, except their outspoken de-
! sire to possess bigger and better arm.
] les That, it's true, is admitted to bt
e the chief motive behind the baby SUBJ
:. sidy programs now in operation II
Italy, Russia and Germany. But the
, plea about the dire consequences Of
- declining birth rates suffers a rudt
shock when population experts get ou
= their paper and pencils.
. Take the list of the 20 most densely
populated countries as vouched for by
DR.. Raymond Pearl of Johns Hopkin.
| l..