The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-01

'OtnerWiSe Occupieu Dy the We6tuets
cock. ~. kkfS
ton to the venture. These are all
low.wage countries; by our stand
ards. almost unbelievably low. With
few exceptions they are overpopu-
lated; that Ii, for their immediate
productive capacity with presen.
commercial outlets. Possibly third
Of the population. ten millions. could
be transported bodily to some other
country with little effect there other
than to give continuous employment
to those remaining, instead Of the
seasonal or merely causual employ
ment now the portion Of the vast
majority of the inhabitants.
Effect I'm Jamaica.
The approximate truth Of this AS
sertion will be sufficiently indicated
to any who will look up the records
to ascertain the effect in jamaica
when large bodies of her laborers
were moved to the Canal Zone and
there employed for years; or the Ct.
feet on wages in those sections Of
Mexico from which thousands Of
workers were drawn into American
war industries. For those to whom
the records are accessible. study II
the results of Diaz's deportation Of
Yaquis from Sonora, Mexico, coloniz.
ing them in Yucatan, will prove
quite as Illuminating.
With conditions stabilized under
our Jurisdiction there can be no
doubt that American industries
would draw heavily on this great
labor reserve. Already II has been
tapped and the material tested out
on the docks and on some construc.
ton work in the South. More of II
would be introduced into this country.
Some manufacturers would find II
practical to move their plants down
to the source of cheap supply. Others
could establish branches there.
Lowering of our common wage scale
resulting from the competition Of
this labor might be offset largely by
the demand for skilled labor and
trained workers of all kinds to aid
in the development of the new
fields.
Even more important than the 20,
litical and economic issues above out
lined Is the social factor still to be
considered. No exact figures exist
for most of the territory under dis
cussion, but our Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce approx,
mates the combined population Of
Mexico, Central America and the
West Indies at thirty-one millions
BY the same conservative AUTHORITY.
a scant 10 per cent Of this total is
Of pure European stock. This eles
ment, with a lesser proportion of
natives and meztizos who, singiy OF
in small groups, have forced them
selves to the front, constitutes the
tof< ~ nj vi h.
ly organized socially as Ia this por,
ton of the population. 1t yet differs
from our own people in laws. Gus
toms. morals. and psychology. De
spite these differences our assimila
ton Of this three or four millions OF
widely scattered peoples should pre-.
sent few difficulties.
Varying Blood Strains.
The remaining 100000 of the
population are of brown, black and
yellow races. pure and intermixed.
aboriginal and immigrant. Many
of them have varying strains OF
white blood. Though their political
status differs. most are on social
and economic plane below that OF
the levee negro, Of the lower Missis
sippi valley, practically all Of them
below that OF the ordinary planta
ton and industrial negro in this
country. Not that all are incapable
Of advancement: many have demon,
strated capacity for physical ano
mental development as have mum.
bers from among the colored races
in the United States.
In no place where these variously
colored peoples have made mass con
tact with the negro, and such places
are innumerable, have they shown
toward him any evidence Of race
antipathy, social aversion or sex
regugnance. All precedent indi
Gates that. given opportunity and
couragement, these peoples quickly
and willingly would amalgamate
with the colored peoples OF the UNI.
ted States, OF whom, counting
Asiatics and persons of mixed blood,
IL is estimated there e~e now more
than 16, 100000. WIN our en-.
Iarged boundaries mot including the
Philippines) we should have a non
assimilable population of 45,000,00
in a state of comparative political
and economic subrucrgence, in q to-
tai population of 100, 200, 900; a pro-
portion of one-third instead Of one
seventh as at present. SO vast an
accretion of undeveloped colored
peoples inevitably would ar
present race problem. Whether
such accentuation would accelerate
or retard their solution Is a vital IL.
sue for us.
Above are presented only what
seem to be essential facts, Cleaned
during a lifetime of work and IT,
vestigation in our own South and In
the countries of the northern
tropics. They are confirmed In
minute and exhaustive detail by
authoritative writings of political.
economic. sociological. and ethno-
logical investigators who have
made scientific studies in these re-
gions. 1t il imperative that our
own people, OF whatever race or
color, should know and ponder them
deeply II we are to determine wisely
what shall be our policy toward the
continued expansion Of our South.
ern boundaries.