Population downturn.(Ahead Of The Curve)

ITEM: Citing the planet's downward spiral of fertility rates given in Phillip Longman's recent book, The Empty Cradle, an April 28 Wall Street Journal editorial warned, "But it is to the situation in America that [Longman] devotes most of his attention.... In his telling, the American populace--aging, self indulgent and ever less disposed to produce and raise offspring--has set itself on a dangerous and unsustainable course."

ITEM: On May 11, Treasurer Peter Costello of Australia announced the availability of a $13 billion package of financial incentives to encourage childbirth. Writing for Crosswalk.com, reporter Patrick Goodenough summarized the unique program which "for five years starting in June will pay couples $2,000 for each new baby born."

Costello closed the press conference announcing the program by telling journalists, "Go home and do your patriotic duty tonight." Like virtually all nations, Australia's birth totals declined each year for the past 33 years. According to leading Australian demographer Bernard Salt, "We need more people in the younger age group, that's the bottom line."

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: In October 1970, AMERICAN OPINION magazine, the predecessor of THE NEW AMERICAN, reported: "According to the government's own statistics, the rate of our population growth is declining. If that continues, our population will actually decrease instead ...