THE BIRTH RATE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 309, 27 November 1933, Page 2

THE BIRTH RATE.

DISCUSSION AT CONFERENCE. Received November 25. 2.25 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 24. “With India’s increase of thirty-four millions in the lust ten . years and Japan’s tour babies per minute, it is time the red traffic light was turned eastward,” cabled the President of the Birth Control Centre to the London Conference, which is discussing birth control in Asia under the presidency of Lord Horder. Professor Carr Saunders declared that birth control was a vital need of modern civilisation, but the problem was how the small family habit could be harmonised with communal needs. If it was not, birth control would be disastrous. The leading q uestion was whether the human race could be trusted with birth control. There was a danger of contraception threatening western civilisation. Dr Dugsdale, a pioneer of the movement. said that overpopulation was tantamount to an excessive death rate and abbreviation ot the life span owing to an insufficiency of the necessities and comforts. It was significant that both the birth rate and tiie death rate of J apan had increased since the era of industrialism. The .limitation of the birth rate in India, China and Japan was essential to the world’s peace and tranquillity. Mr Eguchi, the Japanese delegate, said his countrymen were interested in birth control. It was easy for the westerners to scoff at Japan because of the low standard of living, but Japan was only too glad if Britain had any scheme for bringing Japan’s standard of living on an equality with the west.