Evening star., 1942-04-04
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.

By Thomas r. Henry.
Adolph Hitler's strenuous efforts to
raise the German birthrate are meeting
with Indifferent success.
During the first nine month OF 1s4l
the total number of babies born In cities
of over 100000 population was about 8
per cent less than for the same period OF
1910. The number of marriages in the
same period, despite the number of men
in the army, was less than per cent less.
This is revealed by somewhat sketchy
data on conditions in the Axis countries
which have been obtained by British Of
ficials here from various sources.
The failure of larger crop of babies
aroused a hysterical appeal early this
winter from DR.. Gross OF the racial
political office, who, apparently, is di-
rectly responsible to Der Fuehrer for
bringing about birthrate boom.
THE number Of children in Germany
is still insufficient" he said in an inter-
cepted radio appeal. THE claim for
families with four children is still un-
fulfilled. Even people who have been
married in the last 10 years have gen.
orally only two children. But we must
Keep up the demand for four children
VI the German nation is to remain at its
present size and able to tackle all the
questions which will arise after a VIC
toriouS war.
The increase in birthrate must not
blind us to the fact that 1t is partly due
to some people who despaired before 1885
and who now have taken the risk of hay-
ing a child, and others who married
earlier than they would have done in
peace because Of the war.
The German nation which is giving
Europe new race needs immense forces.
Germans Will go out as businessmen,
technlclans, diplomats or military ex-
perts, but they must not leave gaps in
their native country. Germany needs
children today and especially tomorrow"
Italy, according to the British sources
OF information, apparently is having a
worse time. The official population sta
tisticS for the first 10 months of l94l
show that the number OF marriages in
Italy totaled 2o8, 1928; living births, 1914
All, and deaths, exclusive of those killed
In the war, 500, 7O2 Thus there was an
excess of births over deaths of 283 7O4
These figures show a remarkable decline
as compared with 1910 and the years be-
fore that"
However, the same report points out,
II one takes into account that the
numerical strength of the youthful
classes of potential fathers and mothers
is reduced by the war, the situation in
Italy can be considered quite satisfactory
as compared with that of most of the
peoples of the world"
BY the end of the year. it was forecast,
there would be about 900 900 new bal
In Italy The population of the country
on October was estimated at 45,334,O 900.
The birthrate in Hungary, according
to the British information, is now the
lowest among all European nations Ger
man investigations have revealed, ac-
cording to the same report, that Jewish
doctors and midwives are encouraging
birth control. 1t was recently announced
by the Budapest Municipal Council that
81 midwives have been deprived OF their
licenses.
France appears to be following the
German and Italian lead. The state
secretariat for family, according to the
report. is conducting contest in which
French people are asked to name from
list OF IS items the three which they
think have contributed most to the low
French birthrate.
Says a French newspaper under Ger
man control: Capitalism has lured
women from the home. The greatest
mistakes have been to open all careers to
women, not to emancipate them but to
bring them into the labor market, where
they have become competitors with men.
Thus they have lost liking for home
life, and have avoided having children
when married" F"