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ON INTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL COMPARISONS 49
a seventh. Consequently France, although it has a
total male ,Population approximating to that of Ger-
many, in sp1te of its smaller numbers, has only 5,376,000
males between 20 and 40, as compared with 6,577,000
in Germany; while the United Kingdom, with its
smaller population than France, had in 188 I very nearly
the French numbers of males between 20 and 40. No
doubt in 189 I the figures would show a still greater
supetiority on the part of Germany to France in this
partic'-tlar, while the United Kingdom would be nearly
on an equality. but without the very latest figures
these are good enough for illustration. France has un-
doubtedlya much greater mass of old lives to support in
proportion to its population than either Germany or the
United Kingdom. As they all have. however. the same
proportion of males between 20 and 40. it follows that
in Germany and the United Kingdom there is a much
heavier burden of chitdren than in France. These are
material differences in the constitution of the respective
populations. At present the burden on the vigorous in
each case is much the same, though heaviest. perhaps,
in the case of France, as the old lives may be assumed
to be more costly than the young. but natural growth
must inevitably make an enormous difference in a few
generations. Every ten years Germany and the United
Kingdom, with the same proportion of non-effectives
to support that France has, add greatly to their total
numbers. and increase their preponderance over France
in numbers alone.
The point is not without interest in comparisons
between young and old countries. There are many
comparisons in which. owing to the different composi-
tion of the population in a new country from what it is
in an old country, the apparent superiority of th~ new
country is to be explained, not by any superior quality,
but by the mere fact that there is a less percentage of
the people at ages above 40, and a larger percentage in
the prime of life, than there is in an old country. For
this reason in part there may be less mortality, less
II. E