POPULATION OF EUROPE AND UNITED STATES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 139, 8 March 1920, Page 7

POPULATION OF EUROPE AND UNITED STATES

* 200 MILLIONS SPEAK ENGLISH. It is estimated that the census taken this year will show tho population of the United States to be 112 millions (says a writer in the "Daily Mail"). This means an increaso of over 20 millions in the decade, a somewhat remarkable increase when it iB remembered that practically half the period was taken up by tho •war, which, although it did not involve the United States in a vast sacrifice of life, interfered with emigration, which had contributed so" largely .to the increase of population in the previous decade. The present increase is therefore a natural one, due to the excess of births, over deaths, and it should hearten those Americans who a few years ago feared for the vitality of tho native stock. It is hardly likely that a census taken in the near future of any other country that played a part in the war will show an increaso of population at all proportionate to that in the United States. Great Britain will probably have a. mn?er population than in 1911, but other countries will perhaps show a loss within their present areas. The appalling sacrifice of 800,000 lives by Britain during the war, tho sharp fall in tho birth-rate, and tho high deathrato during the influenza epidemics have led some to believe that our population will bo smaller at the next census than nt the Inst. But many of the 800,000 men who fell in the war would havo died in the natural course of tilings if there had been no war, the birth-rate seems to have recovered, the death-rate is healthily low, emigration is next to nothing, and a number of Britons brought Home by the war from the far ends of the earth 6cem to be staying here.

Wo aro at least assured that we aro holding our own in numbers, and, unless emigration increases extraordinarily between now and April, 1921, our population may easily show a fair increase at tho next census. It will hardly he tho samo in France. She has suffered severely in actual sacrifice of life, nnd probably lias fewer people than before tho \vn.r within her old territories, but tlin restored provinces of Alsaco and Lorraine will perhaps just make good hor Bolgium is recovering quickly, and may not liavo lost much population through the war. Germany has lost some millions through the surrender o£ _ territory, and probably the population in what territory remains to her is not increasing. Austria, once part of an Empiro of over 50 millions, is now a small land with only 9 million people, nnd many of thein are' nearly starving. What, the losses or gains in Russia may bo no one can say. And it is difficult to reckon exactly tho populations of the new States in Middle Europe and the Balkans. But probably the population of Europe as a whole lias not greatly increased during the past few years, if it has increased at all. Stoppage of emigration may, however, have set off to some extent (lie war wastage of lives. It in satisfactory, in any case, to know that 1 the Knglisli-speaking countries of the world are becoming more populous. To Ihn 112 millions of the United States there may be added at tho next census at least 05 million whites in the British Empire. This does not necessarily imply the consummation of that great Anelo-Saxoiidom of which we sometimes lall;. for both in America and in the British Empire the race is very mixed, but it does mean ihal nearly 200 million people will be linked throughout the world by a common tongue. And that may help towards keeping tho world's peace. '