The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1913-02-27
BY Garrett p. Serviss

Neutrality-suspicious. who see only
the worst side Of everything often
talk Of the over-peopling Of the earth.
They think that it is getting crowd.
ed, and look upon wars, famines and
decreasing birthrates as providential
devices for preventing men and wo-
men from becoming too numerous and
making things uncomfortable for the
chosen few who live to own a humid
red thousand acres apiece, to be laid
out in private parks and preserves.
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 off the earth because it 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 10 times
as many children as she now posse
SEES.
No doubt the world is getting a lit
tie crowded in small spots, but if we
look at it as a whole We see that the
centers of population are only like a
few anthills scattered over a vast field.
most of which is unoccupied.
It would be a disgrace to mankind
II, 10000 years from now, single hui
man being should perish from lack of
sufficient sustenance furnished by the
earth to support it's inhabitants.
The land surface of the globe COW
ers over $4,000, 900 square miles. Ac-
cording to the consenses and estimates
made in 1910, it contains nearly 2,OOO,-
900 inhabitants, an average of 40 to
the square mile. Leaving out Of ac-
count the mountains, the deserts and
the Recovered lands about the poles
there must be at least 10000, 900 squar
miles capable of supporting dense
population, especially with the aid Of
machinery for the cultivation Of the
soil II the whole 3O,0OO,0OO square
miles could be made to sustain popu
1ation as dense as that Of Belgium, the
earth would have about 10000, O0O, 900
Inhabitants. II tho average density
were only 200 to the square mile in
stead of $50, as in Belgium, the total
population would be 6, O00, 000, 900.
A glance at q population chart
shows what simple children we have
been in our so-called conquest of the
earth. Like children, We have only
taken what we could get without ef-
fort. On the chart you will see few
elongated dark spots, following the
great river valleys, which indicates
where men have gathered like hanging
clusters Of bees in swarming time The
biggest clusters are in the valleys of
China'sf two great rivers, the Hoang-
Ho and the Yangtsekiang, in the valley
:. Of the Nile in Egypt. Our immense
American river valleys have not yet
turned back on the population chart.
The other notable clusters of human
bees are scattered in little specks over
Europe.
The soil Of the river valleys is rich
and ready to pour out it's vegetable
treasures, and therefore men have
crowded into them. But look at what
has been done in the past few years
in some Of the so-called desert region
OF our great western country and you
will need no further demonstration of
the fact that it only requires tho appli-
cation of brains in order to make the
earth almost anywhere bloom with life
Our population in 1910 was about
81 900, 900, living on an area Of $780,
900 square miles, an average of be-
tween 25 and 26 human beings to the
square mile There cannot be the
slightest doubt that this could be in
square mile, making a population for
the United States of more than 7OO,-
100000. Very likely this could be in
creased to 1,OO0,00O,O0O with the aid
Of modern science.
The vast continent Of Africa, with
an area Of more than $4,000 900 square
miles, certainly does not contain more
than 150,000,000 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 fer
tility, only awaiting development, 1t
Is probable that Africa could maintain
more than 1,0OO, 900, 900 of people, if it
were thoroughly civilized China, with
4,277,O00 square miles, supports 44O,.
100000 people and India, with 1.773,OO
square miles, has 315,000,000 inhabi
tants.