THE POPULATION MYTH.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17612, 17 January 1929, Page 6

THE POPULATION MYTH.

Mussolini, efficient administrator, has taken, a shot at social philosophy, with results that tend to show that he has fallen heir to some of the favourite theories of the former German Emperor. Disregarding the fact that only two years ago he was demanding a place in the sun for Italy’s surplus millions, he now issues a broadside urging his fellow-countrymen to end the decrease in births or face the destruction of the white races under the overwhelming masses of the yellow, brown and black races. The arguments have a familiar ring. They

formed originally a logical corollary to the theory of “Nordic” supremacy. The truth is that despite the sharp decline of the birth-rate in various countries of Europe and in parts of the United States during the last 40 years, the white races are still increasing at a much faster rate than the coloured races. Writing in 1923, Professor Edward M. East of Harvard showed that two-thirds of the annual increase of population is white, and that the rate of increase is about 13 per thousand for the whites and scarcely 2 per thousand for the coloured races. The principal reason for this discrepancy is to be found in the fact that the white races occupy the most fertile and least settled parts of the habitable globe and know how to use them. The coloured races arc hampered either by living under handicaps of climate or soil, as in the case of most of the blacks, or in over-populated regions, as in the case of the Chinese, Japanese, Hindus and part of the Malays. While, as in the case of Japan, the birth-rate is high in these. Asiatic countries, the death-rate also is high. Portions of China where crowding is most in evidence show the sorry spectacle of millions of persons living on the verge of actual starvation. Infant mortality is great and the net increase in population is comparatively small. Professor East accepts the figure of 3 per thousand for Japan and 1.5 for China. It would seem, therefore, as if Mussolini’s race war is unlikely to become a reality. In the meantime, it is a question which of the population perils he has seen threaten Italy is the greater—overpopulation, with its need for more colonies and its demand for the right of unrestricted emigration to the New World, or a declining birth-rate, with an ultimate reduction in ILaly’s available man power, whether for war or industry. A declining birth-rate is manifesting Itself in nearly every civilised country. ■ In Britain 50 years ago the. annual birthrate per thousand living persons was 35.4. In 1927 it was 16. G, the lowest ever recorded. Yet those who draw gloomy conclusions in which they picture the decline and ultimate extinction of the British race are very properly reminded that it is early for them to begin wringing their hands while the population of Britain —which is not infrequently described as over-popu-lated —is still going up, and while the infant mortality is steadily going down. If, as is presumably the case, the population of Italy is still increasing despite the decline in the birthrate, Signor Mussolini has probably not very much cause for worry. He has shown no disposition as yet to prevent the emigration of Italians, who make a not inconsiderable contribution to settlement in other parts of the world.