The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-26
RITING of 1.-THE Economic In
depreciation of History" in the
bi-monthly annals of the

American Academy of political and social
science. Prof. Simon N. Patten. of the
University of Pennsylvania, says this Of
an American future based on food sup
plies:
mot only has America a better food
supply than Europe, but the barriers TO
commerce have been so far broken
down as to make the food supply of the
whole world available at our great
centers.
"a new civilization is now possible to
which those of the past can offer few
analogies. Individual struggle has prac-
ticallv ceased. A sufficiency of food
comes to the unskilled laborer, and the
increase of population. even when aug
mented by million immigrants year
does not increase the pressure We nave
higher standards today with Sc'OOoooo'
than we had two years ago with 40,OOO000
people, and we could support 3OO'OOOoOo
with as great ease and with as little in
dividual struggle.
america is vast storehouse of food
We have the wheat that Europe has, but
we have 1t more abundantly. We have
more extensive grazing regions, and with
corn for fodder have superior facilities
for raising cattle. Pork never took It's
proper place in the diet of the world
until the great cornhelds of the west
came into existence.
ITO think of the change in diet that
the chaperoning of sugar has made is to
realize In measure what an increase OF
population will follow the full utilization
of available root crops. We have COM
bined the resources on which the civil
ization of North Europe depends and
those which made the ancient civilization
of the south.
The emgrants from South Europe find
here possible diet like that of their
home countries, and In its use they evoke
qualities in our soil that lay dormant
as long as the northern races were fed
from II.
"In addition to these home possibilities
the nearness and accessibility of the semi
tropical regions of the West Indies and
Central America make many new FOOD
stuffs available and in quantities pracu-
cally unlimited. Measured in food these
regions can support as great popuiation
as can the United States, and cost Is less
than that of the home supply. We need
only a fruit and vegetapie Twins
population to utilize these new 1000 ma
terials, and it is at hand IN the emf
grants from Southern and Cen'rai Hu-
rope.
.This food supply could not be mace
available nor could the absorption and as
sim,,ation of southern races take place
u,,thout the recent cheapening Of the
cost of transportation
.coincident with this Improvement In
food and transportation have come social
betterments that have heightened life and
made people more healthy. Great scourges
like the mediaevel plaques are no longer
possible and fevers are so well under con-
troll that they have ceased to be grievous
affections.
ITO attain these advantages a rapid
increase of capital is necessary; and for
tunately the growth of the saving instinct
has kept pace with other improvements.
A slight change in the rate OF interest
calls forth capital enough for our great
enterprises.
fto1 nd
men and goods are the four ESSENTIALS to
progress. All of them are now abundantly
supplied and capable Of indefinite In
crease. Must not this be the basis OF a
great social transformation. changing our
institutions, habits and traditions until
they establish a social adjustment as
complete as the present economic situ-
alton permits? If there was a break In
traditions, institutions and ideals when