“RACE SUICIDE” IN FRANCE

Evening Star, Issue 12603, 7 September 1905, Page 2

“RACE SUICIDE” IN FRANCE

Some curious particulars of the problem of depopulation in France have been col lected bv Mr ThomweJl Haynes, United States Consul at Rouen. Up to the middle of the last century France had been, in the matter of population, first of the great European nations ; to-day she is the sixth, with Italy f'-' owing so close on her bee’s that she pro.: : s shortly to be seventh and last. The dec! n ■ is inade perhaps even more apparent when we consider the relative position of France in numbers as it is now and as it was a hundred years ago. In 1800 the population of European nations was roughly 98.000,000, of which 26.030.000 were French; in 1900 the genera) population had grown to 343,000,000, the French population to 38.000,000. That is to say, France, instead oif having 26 per cent., has now but 11 per cent, of it. Another point

of view affording a clear 1 outlook on the situation is to be had St' the birth and death nates for particular years in various countries. Thus, the excess. ovf deaths in 1899 was in England' 482.156, in Germany 795,107, in Prance 31,321* In i 1900 the excess foil to 20,330. I This falling-off, says the New York 5 Sun,’ has been variously accounted for. One of the favorite explanations is the decline of religious beliefs and neglect of religious observances. It is pointed out that the de--eroase in the birth-rate is notable chiefly among the sophSHcated, and rather in prosperous departments, as Burgundy and Normandy, than in such as Bnttany and I Auvergne. This, however, suggests certain conditions that must surely contribute in large measure to the evil. Pew will ! deny, for instance, that the taxes at pre--1 sent imposed in France—almost twice' as | heavy as they were Thirty years age—are by no means encouraging to the fathers cf | families. Nor is the system of compulsory ' service in the army encouraging to early [ marriage. Indeed. M. Yves-Quyot, sometime Minister of Public Works, holds it to i be “ one o! the chief elements in the causes I of the arrest of the population of France,” I and so strong : s the belief that the decline | of the birth-rate is due mainly to conscription and excessive taxation that some of those who have concerned themfelves with the discovery of remedies propose to make members of large families exempt. M. Bertillon, who thinks'that in order to sustain an equilibrium of population every family should have three children, argues that the family which raises leas than three does not fulfil its social duty, and should therefore be compelled to pay an equivalent in taxes, while, on the other hand, those raising more than throe should be reimbursed. On the same principle Bills have been introduced in the French Parliament at various times for the purpose of fixing a tax on bachelors and childless families. Further proposals have been made to modify the inheritance laws so that 2 per cent.for instance, of an estate left to one child shall go to the Government, where there are two heirs, and so on. A modification of this plan is to allow on only child to receive only half of his inheritance, the other half going to the next of kin. Several methods for enabling the members of large families to dispense with military service have been proposed, and already the fathers of more than three ch ldren receive increased pern-ions. An attempt is also being mode to decrease infant mortality, and to restrict the consumption of alcohol, which has greatly increased. It is shown that of 4,744 persons treated in Paris bos pita Is in 1900, more than half were alcoholics, and of consumptives, in particular, no less than 90 per cent. The National Alliance tor Increasing the French Population was founded nearly ten years ago. Its purpose is “to point out to everyone the danger with which depopulation threatens France, and to introduce fiscal measures, or others, to augment the number of births." This alliance, ye are told, “ has worked incessantly to establish its principles, and on account of its efforts the question in 1900 was carried before the Senate. As a result this body appointed an extra-parliamentary committee to study the subject, and upon its report in 1902 a larger, mere important extra-parliamen-tary committee was appointed to examine exhaustively every possible phare of the ‘momentous quest on. ’ This Commttce meets from time to time, but a® yet has taken no definite action.” Whether any great incraise in the population can be ensured by the Government or not, it is certain that every possible effort has been made by the chief agitators to stir up the conscience and pair otism of pot ntial fathers and mothers. No subject has been more widely discussed in France of late than the deerwsing birth-rate, though it is to be feared that the majority continue as before among those whom Dr Primrose regarded as the less considerable portion of mankind “who only talk of population.”