DIPORTANCE OF STATISTICAL IDEAS. 107 



ropean countries and of peoples of European origin during the century 

 just passed, especially the increase of the English people and of the 

 United States, along with the comparative stationariness of the popu- 

 lation of one or two of the countries, particularly France, at the same 

 time. The growth all round is from about 170 millions at the begin- 

 ning of the century to about 510 millions (excluding South American 

 countries and Mexico) ; while the growth of the United States alone is 

 from a little over 5 to nearly 80 millions, and of the English population 

 of the British Empire from about 15 to 55 millions. Germany and 

 Eussia also show remarkable growth, from 20 to 55 millions in the one 

 case and from 40 to 135 millions in the other — partly due to annexa- 

 tion; but the growth of France is no more than from 25 to 40 millions. 

 Without discussing it, we may understand that the economic growth is 

 equally if not more remarkable. The effect necessarily is to assure the 

 preponderance of European peoples among the races of the world — 

 to put aside completel)'-, for instance, the nightmares of yellow or black 

 perils arising from the supposed overwhelming mass of yellow or black 

 races, these races by comparison being stationary or nearly so. The 

 increase of population being continuous, unless some startling change 

 occurs before long, each year only makes European preponderance more 

 secure. Equally it follows that the relative position of the English 

 Empire, the United States, Eussia and Germany has become such as 

 to make them exclusively the great world powers, although France, for 

 economic reasons, notwithstanding the stationariness of its population, 

 may still be classed amongst them. When one thinks what interna- 

 tional politics were only a hundred years ago — how supreme France 

 then appeared; how important were Austria, Italy, Spain, and even 

 countries like Holland, Denmark and Sweden — we may surely recog- 

 nize that with a comparatively new United States on the stage, and 

 with powers like Eussia and Germany come to the front, the world is all 

 changed politically as well as economically, and that new passions and 

 new rivalries have to be considered. 



The figures also suggest that for some time at least the movements 

 going on must accentuate the change that has occurred. According to 

 the latest figures, there is no sign that either in France or any other 

 European country which has been comparatively stationary has any 

 growth of population commenced which will reverse the change, while 

 a large increase of population goes on in the leading countries named. 

 This increase, it is alleged, is going on at a diminishing rate — a point 

 to be discussed afterwards — but in the next generation or two there is 

 practically no doubt that the United States will be a larger interna- 

 tional factor than it is, both absolutely and relatively, and that Eussia, 

 Germany and the English people of the British Empire will also grow, 

 though not in such a way, apparently, as to prevent the greater relative 



