The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-02
coNGEsTED poPULArroN.

generations to come. at least through natural increase of population. That there is much congestion in some of the cities is true, but 1t is voluntary. and apparently an incurable evil. Just why so many people will leave com fortabie homes and pleasant surround ings in the country and crowd into the cities is always mystery. In the country the man who knows how to manage home can almost invariably have for himself and family practically all that makes life enjoyable. He can be an independent, seif-supporting citi- zen of the class that makes any coun- try great and prosperous--such a citi- zenship as can only exist in free country and without which the country cannot thrive.
 But too many of them tire of cour- try life and crowd into the cities where the population is already congested be- yond what is good for 1t. A few do we'll by the change, but many find when too late that they made a sad mis- take. They find that the stir and glare and glitter of the city will not make up for the priyations and diseomforts they must endure. They learn that the alleged dullness and inconveniences of country life are more than compen-
 sated by the room. the freedom and comforts they enjoy. The fact is. any man who has good or moderately good home in the country makes a big mistake when he leaves it and goes to the city, unless he has an assurance that he can thrive and do well in his
 new environment. Even with such assurance the change is not always to be commended.
 With only the natural increase of population, there is no danger that the North American region will be ovar- ample room outside the large cities for many millions to find good homes with out crowding each other uncomfortahly but it is far different in some parts of the Old World. Much of Asia is a1- ready crowded to repletion. China, In- dias Japan--perhaps some others--are now but little better than seething masses of humanity, struggling not only for existence but for room to
 breathe. There is hardly a foot of un- occupied land that man can exist on now, and conditions continually grow worse.
 This cannot go on forever. The time must come, and that at not remote period, when there must be relief. How is that relief to come? These strug- gling millions may at last break the bounds which have so long confined them and overflow Europe. Most Eu- ropean countries do not take kindly to
 the thought or reality of Asiatic set clement, and offer no inducements to that class of immigrants. but the time may come when the struggling Asiat.cs will not wait for an invitation. They may break bounds and in utter des- peration swarm over the European con- tinent like an irresistible wave of des- perate humanity, driving out or over- running the present inhabitants. That such a movement would result in the death of millions of the intruders is not to be denied. but there would always be other millions to take their places, and in their desperation no danger or hardship would hold them back. It would be worse than the descent of the Goths and vandals on Southern Europe, for their numbers would be countless.
 And suppose these restless and des- perate hordes should turn their course towards this portion of the world? Is that an impossible supposition? We have somewhat stringent laws and regulations on the subject of immigra-
 tion. it is true, but laws and regula- tions might not prevail against mill lions of half-civilized people fleeing from unbearable conditions at home. Nothing but force could keep them back, and it is not certain that force could keep myriads of them from on some portion of America.
 All this may look like gruesome ap- prehension, but is it? There must come a time in the not distant future
 when these struggling millions of Asiatics will find the conditions sur rounding them no longer endurable and will break bounds without regard to consequences. When that time comes, as 1t may come, these United States will be fortunate if they do not suffer from the inundation. Barring some such event, there is no need to apprehend any serious congestion of population in the United States for generations 10 come except as to the cities Forum. ately. the spread of railroads. trolley lines, rural mail routes, and telephones
 is doing much to make country life less monotonous and to give less req son for leaving the country for the cities. We are persuaded that no greater service can be rendered human ity in the nation than by making coun-