What policies are those? Their participation in the affairs of almost every nation or group of people?

How do you mean? The Kin only recruit women who have already been to Tar Valon. Everyone in the Kin has been to the Tower first, and the idea that they might recruit wilders is scorned by their leaders. Their activity has had no affect on who arrives in Tar Valon, unless you mean their removal from the breeding pool reduces the numbers who might go to Tar Valon - but you appear to reject that below.

Actually, the causes you suggest instead of the breed out theory are causes as a part of the that same theory. The Tower's isolation from humanity reduces their numbers because they don't marry and have children as the other channeling groups do (sul'dam seem to be in the breeding population in Seanchan). The Kin's "activity" of imitating the Tower and abstaining from marriage also contribute to this decline of breeding, and RJ himself as stated in a QotW post that the ability IS being bred out. While there are vast numbers that the Tower had not tapped when the story started, according to RJ, the numbers that do occur in the population are still less.


1400 out of how many millions they should find? If there are 10 million people in the wetlands, there should be at least 300,000 channelers. The Towers combined, along with the Kin and various rare wilders and the extrapolated numbers from their recruiting do not suggest nearly that amount. While you are right that they are not recruiting to their full potential, the numbers that should be occurring naturally are still too small. At one time, their passive approach to recruiting and restrictive age limits was sufficient to get the numbers they needed, but the channeling population has since declined, so the numbers and strength that wandered into their nets are no longer matching what they did in the past.