Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-25
As a World Power.

Wnen tney go TO taking ABOUT tHS
wealth and resources OF the United
States, it's crops, the output of its
mines and mills and all that, the
figures get too large for the average
man to grasp. However, when it is
put in the form of a comparison with
other countries we get more of an idea
of it and incidentally we swell with &
patriotic pride which it is good thing
to experience once in while. In its
latest issue the Manufacturers Record
has an article on the United States as
world power, demonstrating that the
power OF this country in world affairs
has for it's foundation material re-
sources and geographical location I'M
matched by any other country-we
might safely say, unmatched by any
other continent. Our peculiar advan
velopment of manufactures. for the
production OF foodstuffs with which to
supply the needs of hundreds of
millions of people and for growing the
materials-cotton and wool-with
which to clothe them, are unique. The
world has no duplicate. The Record
summarizes as follows:
Europe, with 400.000,000 people, has
$4,000 square miles of coal land. The
United States, with S7,000,000 people,
has $780, square miles OF good coal
and 10000 square miles of inferior
Goals and ligntes. Our coal sup
ply is at least ten times as
great as Europe's. and is greater
of the rest OF he world. Europe
raises practically no cotton. We raise
$700,000,000 worth a year Europe has
five times as many mouths to feed, but
of wheat and corn combined we raise
one-half OF all produced in the world
and about 500,000,000 more bushels
than all produced in Europe. Europe
may partly offset this by rye. but we
offset rye by rice and other foodstuffs.
With 6 per cent. of the land area of
the world and 5 1-2 per cent. of the
worlds population, we have One-half
of its wheat and corn. 20 per cent. of
its cotton, more coal than has been
discovered in the rest Of the world, and
as much iron ore. Our Water-pOWerS
can be developed to such an extent
that they would furnish more power
than is used in all the power plants in
America. They are easily accessible
near to centers of population, or of in
ct rX RI tho materials for
manufacturing or mining.
With 5 1-2 per cent. OF the worlds
population, we have 40 per cent. of the
worlds railroad mileage, and our
traffic is growing so rapidly that we
need to double our entire railroad
facilities within the next 10 or Is
years. Our population increases at the
rate of about 2 per cent. year. On
the present basis of 87.000.000, this
would give us 100000 to 1S,000,000
more people in the next 10 years, and
something over 2O,o00000 in the fol-
lowing decade. This will give us over
125,000,000 by 1880 and 150,000,000
people by 1910. In 80 years we will
add to our population more than the
total population of the entire country
in 1880. In 80 years our population
will be about 20 per cent. larger than
it is today. but by virtue of the in
creasing power OF transportation on
land and sea, the use of the telephone
and aph-which are among the
greatest agents that ever came into
existence for accelerating business and
adding to mans productive capacity
the 20 per cent. of increase in popula-
ton will have far greater pOtenti-
alty than the total population of today.
In other words, the 150,000,000 people
that will be living in the United States
by 1910 will vastly exceed in their
potentiality to produce and to con-
sumo what the same number could do
today. 1t is not at all impossible,
judging the future by the past that
the individual potentality will be
doubled, and that the 10000. 900 people
80 years hence will be equal in pro-
ducing and consuming power to 30O,-
100000 people today"