The world may be in a chaotic state at the present time and it may be a very difficult period in which to live, but despite that fact less than half as many infants will fail to survive for at least one year than would had they been born in 1915, another period when war was raging over a large part of the globe. Birth rates, total death rates and death rates for infants under 1 year of age have all shown a gradual decline during the years for which statistics are available. In 1915 the birth rate for the United States was 25.0 per 10,000 estimated population; in 1940 it was only 17.9. The total death rate in 1915 was 14.0 per 10,000 estimated population; in 1940 it was 11.0. The death rate under 1 year dropped from 99.9 per thousand live births in 1915 to 48.7 in 1940.