Evening star., 1939-07-23
France Seeks Higher Birth Rate
AS Fascist Population Grows
But Increased Numbers Boost Expenses and Have
Proved Hindrance Rather Than Aid
in Armed Conflicts
By Guy Irping Bnrch.

Gus children, train the youth and give
them economic opportunities In the COL
onies. France has been giving bonuses
to parents of large families for some time,
yet during the past two years there have
been more deaths than births. Twenty
years ago, when France began the baby
bonuses in earnest, she also outlaWed
birth control information. Neither one
of these moves has prevented the popu-
lation from decreasing. These and
other schemes have been practiced in
Italy and other countries, but the birth
rate has kept right on dropping.
The simple facts of the matter are
that all the countries of Europe are feel
ing severe population pressure upon their
standards of living, and parents with
any degree of foresight simply will not
have the large families of earlier days
when European countries could export
large numbers of emigrants to the New
World
Spengler, in his exhaustive book
France Faces Depopulation, estimates
that France now has 25 per cent more
people than is conducive to the economic
welfare of her people. and. he says, the
evidence indicates that a decrease of Is
per cent would be an advantage to the
economic life of the French people He
further estimates that sum of money
large enough to prevent the French pop
ulation from decreasing would amount
to between one-fourth and one-third of
the national income of France. The ma
tional outlay for baby bonuses and such
would have to be about 20 times the
amount now expended for such purposes.
The subject Of population is rather
complicated, but there are one or two
simple facts which many people over
look. First, as mankind's natural power
to increase is far greater than its power
to increase its food, clothing, housing,
etc, there must be some means Of popu-
lation control. Second, the spread of
birth control knowledge among all eco
nomlc and social classes of the popula-
ton by helping to replace more waste
full expensive and disorganizing means
OF control (such as needless infant and
maternal mortality, abortion, war and a
low marriage rate) and by making pos
slole more adequate distribution of
children and wealth, can result in the
largest population CONSTANT with a
healthful standard of living. Holland,
where birth control information is prob
ably the most generally known, is in
creaslng faster in population than any
country in the world which has COM
parable standard of living. On the
other hand, Ireland, where this informa-
ton is not popular, has decreased in
population to half the size of 100 years
ago. Even when emigration from Ire
land is taken into account, the popula-
ton would have increased very slowly.
Ireland's Experience.
France has given bonuses to the par
ents of large families, and evidently that
country is intending to raise the ante.
But, as 1relands experience indicates,
large families do not always increase the
population faster The Irish Free State
has the largest families in the civilized
world, but she has had for many years
low birth rate because she also has the
lowest proportion of her population mar
ried Bonuses for large families, if they
are successful, may have similar effect
upon the proportion of the population
married in other countries. If this hap
pens the population will grow lop-sided
punched in relatively small number of
very large families. This results in a
maldistribution of children and wealth,
and is disorganizing to economic condi-
tions and the population does not grow
efficiently or as large as it normally
should
Bonuses to increase the population of
France may be questioned on the grounds
that the population does not need to be
increased. But assuming that it should
be kept stationary and not decreased, it
is still questionable whether bonuses will
accomplish the purpose, unless as Speng-
Ter suggests, from one-fourth to one
third OF the national income be expended
for this purpose. Even then natural re-
sources, especially irreplaceable mineral
resources, are likely to become increas-
ingly scarce and the population be forced
down Notwithstanding. Another argu-
ment against bonuses for large families
is that it merely robs Peter to pay Paul,
and as the birth rate of the latter goes
up the birth rate of the former goes
down.
But if bonuses are given to increase
the population, keep it stationary, or
prevent it from decreasing, the bonuses
should be given to increase the propor-
ton of the population married. The
bonuses should be increased considerably
for the first three children and then
cease This would have tendency to
result in large number of medium
sized families, which is the most effective
and economical way population can
grow.
1t might be better for the politicians to
leave the fate of the birth rate entirely
in the hands of the mothers and fathers
of the country. If general economic and
social conditions warrant higher birth
rate, the parents of the nation will find
II out soon enough.