THE RISE IN THE VALUE OF BABIES 3 



cynical spirit that I suggest here that our changed 

 attitude toward the child is largely attributable to 

 our fear of just such calamitous racial decline. For 

 among the most impressive social phenomena of our 

 time the diminishing birth-rate in most civilized 

 countries holds a prominent place. 



I would not take issue with those who glory in the 

 increase of solicitude for the welfare of children as 

 an evidence of the growth of pure altruism. At 

 the same time, I cannot escape the conviction that 

 there is much significance in the fact that France, 

 the nation which feels most keenly the perils of a 

 diminishing birth-rate, leads the world in those vast 

 social experiments which aim, in the words of Sir John 

 Gorst, "to make the most of such children as are 

 brought into the world." ^ It is because of the very 

 narrow margin of births over deaths that France 

 values her babies more highly than any other country.' 

 In the great Australian commonwealths, the decline 

 in the birth-rate during recent years has caused great 

 anxiety and compelled statesmen and men of science 

 to seek ways and means of preventing needless in- 

 fantile mortality.' When England was confronted 

 by a dearth of soldiers the dwindling of the birth-rate 

 became a matter of vital concern. Statesmen and 

 scientists were forced to give it their attention, and, 

 as in the other countries named, the question of 

 properly caring for the children born was invested 



