248 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



of births during the preceding year in the nation at large was inferior 

 by 34,869 to the number of deaths. True, the total population of the 

 republic increased during the quinquennial period (1906-11), but this 

 increase represented almost entirely the growth of Paris and a few other 

 large cities, itself a result of foreign immigration, which now averages 

 over 120,000 persons a year. Only 23 departments (the number was 55 

 in 1910) showed any increase at all, and except in those departments 

 containing large cities, the increase was trifling. The departments of 

 Upper Loire, Lot and Yonne each lost about 11,000 inhabitants, Allier 

 and Manche, over 11,000, Somme, 12,400, Nievre, 14,600 and Ardeche 

 over 15,000. 



The disquieting feature of the situation is that while the popula- 

 tion of France has long been practically stationary and is now begin- 

 ning to decline, that of her neighbors continues to increase by leaps and 

 bounds. While the French population since 1872 has increased only 

 from 36,102,000 to 39,601,000, or only about three and a half millions, 

 that of Germany has increased from 40,000,000 to 65,000,000, or a gain 

 of 15,000,000 souls, and this in spite of the several millions that Ger- 

 many has lost by emigration to foreign lands. During this period the 

 population of the United Kingdom has increased from 31,840,000 to 

 more than 45,000,000; Austria-Hungary from 35,700,000 to more than 

 49,000,000, and Eussia from about 80,000,000 to 155,000,000 (1908), 

 and all this notwithstanding the heavy loss which these countries have 

 sustained through emigration to foreign countries and to their colonies. 



M. Bertillon, speaking before the Society of Friends of the Univer- 

 sity of Paris, in 1912, called attention to the fact that in 1815 the 

 French constituted 18 per cent, of the civilized people of the world ; now 

 they constitute only 10 per cent. Against 50,000,000 people who speak 

 French, there are to-day, he says, 120,000,000 who speak German and 

 150,000,000 who speak English. In 1789 France stood first among the 

 powers of Europe in respect to population ; to-day she stands sixth and 

 is followed closely by Italy. M. Bertillon pointed out the economic and 

 other consequences to the nation that must result from this loss of pop- 

 ulation. French exports have almost ceased to increase for lack of 

 producers and manufacturers, while those of Germany have nearly 

 doubled during the last thirty years. In case of war Germany now has 

 fifty per cent, more conscripts than France to put into the field 

 whereas forty years ago the two countries were in this respect on a 

 footing of practical equality. France has no men available to send to 

 her colonies and few to spread French influence abroad. M. Bertillon 

 calls attention to the fact that technical and scientific works whose 

 readers are necessarily limited in numbers but which nevertheless are 

 the essential marks of progress will be published in the language 

 spoken by the largest number of people. For Europe this language was 

 once French, but it has ceased to be such. During the past century, while 



