The Press SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1933. Europe's Population Race

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21034, 9 December 1933, Page 14

The Press SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1933. Europe's Population Race

Continental correspondents of the " Daily Herald" record the commencement of a new international rivalry—a race not so much for armaments as for man power. Germany, Italy, and France are seeking greater populations to replace the gaps left by the Great War, Germany, we are told, is diverting girls from the factory and the office to the home; Italy encourages an active rise in the birth rate; France offers a sanctuary to German Jew refugees. For France, the prospect, in the light of her vital statistics, is depressing. Population figures for Italy, however, show an astounding increase almost at the rate of 500,000 a year. Germany has not been far short of that; but both Italy and Germany have many years before their populations reach the density of Great Britain's, not to mention those of Belgium and Holland. France can scarcely regard with anything but hopelessness the prospect of cancelling the 20,000,000 population disparity between Germany and herself, or of achieving Fascist Italy's prolific increase. At the time of Waterloo, France's population was three times that of Great Britain; in 1840 the figures stood at 27 millions for Britain, and 33 m;ilions each for France and Germany; and by 1871 France had 37 millions compared with 38 millions in Germany, 30 millions in Great Britain, and 27 millions in Italy. Census figures for the period between 1871 and 1921 show the following increases: France, three millions; Italy, 13 millions; Great Britain, 16 millions; Germany, 22 millions. A decade ago population densities in the main European countries (Russia excluded) indicated an enormous change from mid-nineteenth century figures. Germany had leaped to 60 millions, in spite of territorial losses; Great Britain's industrial development had taken her to approximately 45 millions; and Italy had drawn level with France at more than 39 millions. In Italy fecundity has received official Fascist encouragement, and the results have entailed concentration on agriculture and industry to cope with a den(sity of population which now exceeds 340 a square mile. Italy's figures stand at more than 42 millions, and will continue to increase. Excess of births over deaths for Germany in 1924 reached 500,000 —a smaller percentage increase than in Italy—but indicative of a continuance of Germany's high birth rate in the last century. It is doubtful, however, if the extraordinary increase from 60 to 65 millions in the 10 years from 1921 can itself be exceeded; but it is informative to note that the drain on the Nazi Government's funds as a result of the recent *' marriage " bonus " has necessitated a reduction in the number of loans to be granted henceforth. France has been unable to compete with Germany and Italy. An importation of v/orkers from foreign countries sent her figures up when a shortage of labour was threatened because of the low rate of population increase, but her population of 41,500,000 for 1932 has probably fallen since with the exit of aliens and the tightening of regulations governing foreigners earning a living in France. If France had a system of hygiene comparable with that of America, wrote a Frenchman in 1925, her death rate would be lessened by 200,000 a year. As it was it lay between 18 and 19 a thousand. With a present population of approximately 46 millions (excluding the Irish Free State) Great Britain has not advanced as rapidly as Germany or Italy. France, also, has achieved a very small increase in 10 years. If any excitement is to be gained from the promised race of Germany, Italy, and France it will lie mainly in the rapidity with which the two former nations will forge ahead.