Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-10
is THE WORLD TOO SMALL?
German statisticians Claim II Is-Their
Mistake In Considering Only Europe and
America-Places That Are, Compara-

German statisticians Claim 1t Is-Their
Mistake In Considering Only Europe and
America-Places That Are, Compara-
lively Speaking, Uninhabited.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal.l
The Germans have long had q monopoly in
the compilation of population statistics. and
some OF them are now engaged in discussing
the rather difficult problem of the precise ra-
pidity with which the human inhabitants of
the world are increasing in number. A few
even 70 further and are endeavoring by mathe-
matical reasoning to calculate when the popu-
lation will grow too dense for the habitable
land of the globe. The latter Of these ques-
tions takes US far into futurity, and while we
do NOT consider either of them of importance
to the majority we will not fall behind the
Germans, but will make q few speculations on
our own account
While 1t cannot be doubted that the more
highly civilized nations are increasing their
population very rapidly, yet there is nothing to
indicate that the total of the worlds numbers
has any alarming growth. While some peoples
are doubling and tripling every century others
are decaying and growing less numerous each
decade. 1t is simply another illustration OF the
growing in western Europe and the United
States for all we know it is declining in Asia
and Africa. That it is doing SO in the latter
tourisb aya ~: aaser Jrnan and lie
away.
Where They Make Their Mistake.
In all our calculations concerning population
we are prone to refer to America and Europe
alone. and to draw our conclusions from the
rules of increase or decrease prevailing in
them, forgetting that the two combined do not
represent one-third of the earth's habitabie
surface, or one-third of its people. So far as
they are concerned it Is not difficult to make
the necessary computations, for there are
enough ngurss o6taina6le to IN, make & all the
altogether different with Africa and Asia,
where in a few cases meager facts are fur
nished, and in most none at all.
Nearly half the worlds population is in Asia,
and there is good reasod to believe that 500 or
ZOOO years ago it contained as many or moro
people than it now does. 1t is true that China
and India have immense numbers at the pres
ent day. but as far back as history or legend
goes, when Europe was wilderness. both were
thronging with inhabitants. There is no doubt
that western and Central Asia, which are now
but sparsely peopled, once contained very great
cities and vast population. The mighty en-
pires which have risen and fallen where at this
day only ruins and wanderings shepherds re-
main are sufficient proof Of that.
Africa's Population Decreasing.
The population of Africa is undoubtedly de-
clining. The tribal wars cut down their num-
bers, and the slave trade which Is now carried
on there, in a systematic manner by the Arabs
to an extent hitherto unknown, is making
more serious inroads. The number of slaves
taken out of Africa would not make much of
figure in itself, but those whose attention has
been especially directed to the subject calcu-
late that for every slave exported at least ten
persons perish. Thousands are killed when
their villages are attacked, and many more die
on the march to the coast, SO that only the
picked men, the strongest and the most
patient, survive.
As for the population of the world growing
too numerous, we may remark for the benefit
of our German friends that there is a good
deal of practically unoccupied land left on this
sphere. Two-thirds of all the people live in
China, India and Western Europe. On the map
of the world these countries look very small
compared with the extent exclusive Of them.
There's Room for All.