ABSTRACT
OME previous authors have already noticed some S features of the rate of natural increase of population in accordance with the war-equilibrium theory, and its being influenced by war. So Nitti says12 in the essay already quoted, that " we may almost say that death calls for life and that there is something unconscious and fatal in this vicissitude of things. Wars, famines and epidemics are generally succeeded by years of a very high birth-rate. In France in the two years preceding 1870, the birth-rate was only 20.5 per ~ , o o o , but after the very high death-rate produced by war and smallpox in 1870-1871, the birth-rate rose in 1872 and for some years following remained a t 26.7. In Prussia while for two years preceding 1870 the birth-rate was 39, it increased and remained at 41.5 for the three succeeding years."
