does this make sense?

Not at all... Even in population growth such a phrase is not appropriate... One may lag behind another in fashion, or education, or in technological development, or sanitation or health care; all matters of choice, or caused by cultural malaise, but no country can lag behind another in area of geography, or in population growth, as the later represents individual choices made upon individual circumstances... For one to lag behind there must be some kind of contest, as between generals in taking countryside, making war, or destroying the enemy; but for anyone to lag behind requires a fair contest which never actually occurs in life. Since all the earth has been taken, and all real estate meets and bounds on the property of another, and all represents settled relationships over some times natural boundries, and there is no way of having more except out of the lives and justice of another, it cannot be consided a matter of choice as laging behind another would be.

No; that suggests a race,
which is not the case.