HUMAN IMPLICATIONS 219 



production among human animals is slowing down, 

 just as the rate of increase in non-human popula- 

 tions slows down as laboratory containers approach 

 an overcrowded condition. In fact, few animal popu- 

 lations approach the limits of their food supply in 

 nature. 



The reasons for this are not clear, though they 

 appear to be connected with the ease of securing 

 available energy, food and shelter. As men approach 

 the bearable limits of these necessities of life there 

 occurs an increase in birth control. This is shown 

 in Italy, where, according to figures given in The 

 Statesman's Year Book, (114) despite continued 

 propaganda for a higher birth rate the actual num- 

 ber of births fell over 12 per cent from 1922 to 

 1936 (Figure 43). Thanks to a similar decline in 

 death rate the significant percentage of births which 

 are canceled by deaths has remained fairly steady. 

 In England, where there has been no great effort to 

 encourage population increase, the deaths in 1922 

 were 62 per cent of the births; in 1935 they were 

 81 per cent. Perhaps the success of Italian efforts is 

 to be measured by this comparison with England 

 rather than by the fact that under propagandist pres- 

 sure their birth rate has actually decreased. In Ger- 

 many, the present regime has not been in power 

 long enough to establish a trend. The graph (Fig- 



