WAR AND THE BIRTH-RATE

Evening Star, Issue 17793, 15 October 1921, Page 6

WAR AND THE BIRTH-RATE

SUPPORT FOR A THEORY. A faseinatiny theory was discussed by Sir Bernard .Mallet, cx-Rcgistrar-Genera] tor ii;o United Kingdom, in an examination of the British census result K which appears in Hie London ‘Observer.’ .Dealing with war arid tho increased iirepoiideninco of females over males the excess, whir'll in 1911 was 1,179,279, being now 1 .720,802—5ir Bernard said lie thought that tlio suspension of emigration during the war inir-Its. hare counteracted this predominance, tail, as a mallei- of fact, owing to heavy emigration in iiic three years pnv'eeiiing tie- war. and again last year it had not all'eeied it. Tho actual number of men killed in the war was the .main fad or in tho case, and to that extent the phenomenon was temporary. People sometimes talked as if this preponderaii'e was one of marriageable females, but a very largo proportion conr.isicd o! elderly widows. How long the increased preponderance shown in the present figures will continue cannot lie predicted, hut Fir Bernard pointed to the supremely interesting fact. Hint over since tho first quarter of 1915 the ratio of male to female births has been steadily above the average. “'lbis ia-ei.,"’ be remarked, “does undoubtedly lend support to the theory that during and niter n war there is a larger excess than under peace conditions of male over female births. Easing, in his 1 Regiilionmg des Gesxhleehtsvcrlialt-jiir-ses,’ slates that an accentuation of the excess in war lirno is a ‘well known and undoubted fact,’ and \ cn. Kirks arrived at tho same conclusion as tho result of his studios of tho effects in Germany of tho wars of IStti and 1871. Other authorities have cast somo doubts upon this theory, but tho fact remains that, speaking for this country, tho phenomenon of an abnormal increase of boy over girl babies has, with some fluctuations, continued since 1915 until tho present time, tho ratio in tho past quarter being 1,057 births of boys to every thousand births of girls. “ Far some unexplained reason England has long been remarkable for tho low excess of male over - female births, not only us compared with tho Continental countries, but also with the other parts of tho United Kingdom, the normal ratio for tho years 1894 to 1913 being 1,038. During tho halfcentury preceding the war tho extreme ran go was from 1,032 to 1,043, tho latter flguro being reached in tho year

“ It lias to bo remembered, of course that whilst more boys than girls are born there is always a greater mortality among infant males. If, bowevor] the increase in the ratio of malo births continues it should in time help to counteract the present surplus of females. At any rate it, should prevent it going on increasing.”