Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-21
ROOM ON MOTHER EARTH
No ovsrerowdins for at Least 10000
Years.

| Pessimists-persons who see only
the worst side Of ever-thing-often
talk of the overpeopling Of the ear+h
says London special. They think that
1t is getting crowded, and look upon
wars, famines and decreasing birth
rates as providential devices for pre-
venting men and women from becom-
ing too numerous and making things
uncomfortable for the chosen few who
like to own 100000 acres apiece, to be
laid out in private parks and pre-
serves. They are like the Scotch laird
who discouraged large families among
his tenants because he feared that too
many human beings would interfere
with his game and spoil his shooting.
According to these persons, there is a
growing danger that before long mil
lions Of human beings will be literally
crowded of the earth because 1t will
be inconvenient to make room for
them.
In truth, however, there Is plenty Of
room on the earth, and the great
mother could easily maintain ten
times as many children as she now
possesses. No doubt the world is get
ting little crowded In small spots,
but II we look at 1t as a whole we see
| that the centers Of population are on
ly like few anthills scattered over O.
vast field, most Of which Is unoccu-
pied. ..
It would be q disgrace to mankind
II 10000 years from now q single hui
man being should perish from lack Of
sufficient sustenance furnished by the
earth to support its Inhabitants.
The land surface Of the globe cov-
ers over 100000 square miles. Ac-
cording to the censuses and estimates
made In 1910, 1t contains nearly g.
900, 900 Inhabitants, an average Of
forty to the square mile. Leaving out
Of account the mountains, the desert
and the ice-covered land about the
poles, there must be at least 100000
900 square miles capable Of supports
ing dense population, especially with
the aid of modern scientific methods
and modern machinery for the culu-
vation Of the soil, II the whole 30,-
600, 900 square miles could be made to
sustain a population as dense as that
Of Belgium the earth would have
duOul IV,VUOpVUVbUVU LlHduiIdhto. f II
the average density were only 200 to
the square mile instead Of $50, as In
Belgium, the total population would
be 6,000,000,000. g -
Our population In 1910 was about
81, 100000, living on an area Of $780,
600 square miles, an average Of be-
tween 25 and 26 human beings to the
square mile. There can not be the
slightest doubt that this could be in
creased to an average Of 200 to the
square mile, making population for
the United States Of more than 700,-
100000. Very likely this could be in
creased to thousand millions with
the aid Of modern science.
The vast area Of Africa, with an
area Of more than 100000 square
miles, certainly does not contain more
than $50, 100000 inhabitants. an aver
age of less than 13 to the square mile.
Yet at least half Of Africa Is very fer
tile, and even the Sahara desert pos
sesses the potential elements Of fertil-
ity, only waiting development. It Is
probable that Africa could maintain
more than 1000. 100000 Of people, II
1t was thoroughly civilized. China,
with 4,227,000 square miles, supports
440, 100000 people, and India with
1,773,000 square miles, has 315,000,000
inhabitants
South America covers 1000, ,000I
square miles and contains say 45,000,-
900 people, an average not much above
six to the square mile, 1t Is rich
enough to have at least 500, 900, 900. q
No, the earth is not being overpop-I
ulated.