Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-06

power in the tasks of production and transporta-
ton. Tropical junges will prove no barrier to the
flying machine, which explore in a few days re
gions which the traveller afoot would require long
weeks months to compass and which carry
of merchandise easily it now carries tons
of explosives. Farm tractors, recently imported
into Peru, perform with one man and fifteen gal
Ions of gasoline great service per day as fiji
teen men and fifteen pair of accustomed
to perform under the old system" 1t is reasonable
to expect therefore, that when the gasoline engine
once gets broadly under way in the Tropics 1t VIII
develop their rich resources at astonishing speed
Will create lines and of commerce capable OF
feeding great railroad systems, and so add vast
empire to the worlds commerce and CIVILIZATION
Portions of the Tropics il is true, are already eA
Plotted, but to a very limited extent; and for the
most part their Unreasonable resources have not
been scratched.
The development of those wild and richly stored
lands will mark an epoch in world history, solving
some of the gravest problems and opening some OF
the heppiest opportunities man ever has faced. For
one thing il will assure the supply of material LOT
manufactures without which the peoples OF the
North Temperate Zones could not continue their
civilization, and at the same time VIII alloru On
inviting outlet for the overcrowded centers Oh tue
earth, particularly those of Europe. WITHIN tne
Tropical and sub-Tropical latitude lies virtually
One-haf of the worlds land area, exclusive OF inc
Arctic and Antarctic; and the resources and PROD
ucts of that vast territory of constantly grow
ing Importance to the Temperate Zone AS me
Americas article to which have referred points
ont: We of the continental United States i'm
ported in the calendar year 1917 billion and =
half dollars worth of Tropical and sub-Troplcal
products against one billion dollars worth In 1917
three-quarters of a billion dollars worth IN 1919
a haIf-bilion dollars worth in 1905, and one-tmrd
of a billion dollars in 1900 In normal times Ell
rope's imports from the Tropics would show SUN
more pronounced increase For food and manu-
featuring material" says Mr.. Austin, man mas al
ready developed the producing power OF the rem
perate Zones especially the North Temperate, and
now he will see to it that the Tropics perform their
PROPER share of the task of supplying the food and
manufacturing material required by the seventeen
hundred million people of the globe"
While we of the New World are for the most
part free from problems of congested population
and the inability of production to keep pace with
consumption, the older lands face serious perplexi-
ties of that nature. 1t is worth noting that the
worlds population has increased from about six
hundred and forty million in 1900 to one billion
in 1850 one and a half billion in 1900, and bill
lion seven hundred million at present From this
remarkable and constantly accelerated increase
come the problems which the development
of the Tropics will prevent from growing insup-
portable Thus the impetus which the war has
given to the use of the gasoline engine, in the air
ship the farm tractor and motor vehicles, will be
of intellectually potent influence in lands far beyond
the battle zone and in times far distant in the
future.