The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1905-03-30
AMERlCA0rTHE FUTURE
Simon N. Patterns View of Il
Based on Food Supplies.

HIGHER STANDARDS OF LIVING.
Pennsylvania University Professor
Says Resources of United States
Make Possible "a Civilization to-
Which History Offers Few AnaIo-
gies-FOod Supply of the world
Available at Our Great Ceate-s-
Writing Of '"The Economic Interpre-
tation Of History ir the bimonthly An
mails OF the American Academy of Pc
litical and Social Science. Professor ST
mon n. Patten of the University OF
Pennsylvania says this Of an American
future based on food supplies:
Not only has America better food
supply than Europe 5ut tie barriers
to commerce have peen SO far broken
down as to make the food supply Of tll<!
whole world available at our great cen
terS
"a new civilization ~ now possible To
which those of the past can offer few
analogies Individual struggle has prac-
tically ceased A sufticiency Of food
comes to the unskilled labOrer, and the
increase of population even when aug
mented by a million immigrants year
does not increase the pressure. We
have higher standards today with So
erations ago with 100000 people, and
we could support 300,000,000 with as
great ease and with as little individual
struggle.
''The great central plain of North
America is a vast storehouse of food.
We have the wheat that Europe has,
but we have it 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 cornfieldS Of the
west came into existence.
To think of the changes in diet that
the cheapening Of sugar has made is
TO realize in a measure what an in
crease Of population will follow the full
utilization OF available root crops. We
have combined the resources ON which
the civilization of north Europe de-
ponds and those which made the an.
cient civilizations of the south. The
emigrants from south Europe find here
possible diet like that of their home
countries, and in it's use they evoke
qualities in our soil that lay dormant
as long as the northern races were fed
from it
''In addition to these home possibili-
ties the nearness and accessibility Of
the semitropical regions of the West
Indies and Central America make
many new foodstufs available and in
quantities practically unlimited. Meas
ured in food, these regions can support.
as great population as can the Unite1
States, and cost is less than that OF ths
home supply. We need only a fruit and
a vegetable loving population to utilize
these new food materials, and it is ct
hand in the emigrants from southern
and central Europe.
'This food supply could not be mad;
available nor could the absorption aud
assimilation of southern races take
place without the recent cheapening Of
, the cost Of transportation.
''Coincident with this Improvement
in food and transportation have come
social betterments that have length
ened life and made people more
healthy. Great scourges like TIE ne
diaeval plaques are no longer possible
and feyers are SO we'll under control
that they have ceased to be grieyoua
affections.
"To attain all these advantages 8
rapid increase of capital is necessary,
and fortunately the growth Of the saw
ing instinct has kept pace with othe,
improvements. A slight change in the
rate of interest calls forth capita!
enough for our great enterprises.
Food health, capital and mobility
of men and goods are the four essen
tials to progress. All Of them are now
abundantly supplied and capable Of in
definite increase. Must not this be tho
basis of a great social transformation
changing our institutions, habits and
traditions until they establish q social
adjustment as complete as the present
economic situation permits? If there
was a break in traditions, institutions
and ideals when civilization moved
from southern to northern Europe
still greater crisis is before us when
American civilization matches Ameri.
can possibilities"
Looking Ahead.