French Need Of Children.

New York Times 100 years ago today, June 22, 1913:
One More for Each Family Necessary, Says M. Bertillon.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    PARIS, June 21.— In his study of French birth-rate statistics for 1912, which have just come out, Dr. Jacques Bertillon comes to the remarkable conclusion that if things go on as at present the law for three years' military service, which is now being discussed in the Chamber, will prove only a temporary palliative and will have to give way soon to a four years' service and then five unless the nation is to go under.
    According to the figures 311,929 marriages took place last year, 750,651 children were born alive, and the deaths were 692,740.
    Compared with the average of the five years previous the births have fallen just 20,000, while the marriages have increased by 983.
    Before 1887, Dr. Bertillon points out, France never had less than 900,000 births; before 1867 never less than 1,000,000.
    On the other hand, the deaths have fallen off by 61,000. This favorable sign, however, is discounted by Dr. Bertillon, who shows that the average of the previous period was brought up by the Summer of 1911, the phenomenal heat and drought of which carried off a record number of young children and thousands of old and delicate persons, who would otherwise have gone until 1912, while last Summer, on the contrary, which was exceptionally cool, saw a great lowering of the death-rate among children under a year.
    The net increase in France last year of 58,000 is shown by Dr. Bertillon to be much less than in Holland, which has one-eighth of the population. .
    Dr. Bertillon concludes that the country requires at least one child more in every family to keep anything like the level of the surrounding nations.