Evening star., 1925-01-18


~ with crowded Europe with its
476 people per square mile
and more crowded Asia with about
double that number, offers great
potentialities as an area where mil
lions of additional human beings may
find homes.
There are a number of problems,
however which South America faces
and which must be met before she
will be able TO take care of incoming
peoples in considerable numbers.
Some of these problems were pointed
out here by William A. Reid, trade
adviser of the Pan-American Union,
an expert on international economic
matters, particularly as they relate
to Latin America
In discussing the population prob
lens Of South America" he stated
that there Is ample room in South
America and that the several ma
tions bid the newcomer welcome"
but that "the coming of people must
be on a reasonable basis; the cur
rent should not be too rapid and
those who do go to South America must
possess spirit akin to that of the
forty miners who crossed the plains
of the United States, banishing the
buffalo, stocking the ranch and plow
ing the furrow. 1T is just such
sturdy pioneers" he added, that
South American countries need
those Injured to toll, and particularly
to toll in the open country"
\ Inertia and Isolation Being
Overcome.
Tropical inertia and isolation-two
of the great drawbacks to the settle
of South AmeriCa-are being over
come to some extent and can be over
come further, through the advances
OF modern medical science and through
mechanical civilization" The high NOR
tality which prevails among work
ers in tropical South America can be
improved, Mr.. Reid asserted. by san
itation and education. That it is
not impossible to surround laborerS
and their families in tropical jungles
with health safeguards has been dem
onstrated again and again" he said.
Conspicuous examples were the con-
servation of life of the laboring
masses at Panama: of those who fin
ally succeeded in building railway
around the rapids of the Madeira
River in Brazil; and the measures
that changed Rio de Janeiro, Santos.
Guayaquil and other cities from high
mortality to healthful places in
4 which to live"
Pointing to the activities and ac-
complishments in Java, Ceylon, the
straits settlements and scores Of 9TH
er sun-parched and ain-drenched
lands, who can doubt, he asked that
the hot regions of South America
may not one day become as produc-
tive, as livable and as profitable? For
example, suppose some rubber cor
poration would devote as much capt.
tai to AmoZonia as one American n
company did in Sumatra. Granted
workers are available, is there doubt
OF practical and satisfactory results?"
Radio and Movie Versus Isolation.
viii isolation disappear?" Mr..
Reid was asked.
Certainly, but slowly" he replied.
"Look at the factors working on the
problem of isolation. There is the
radio, the telephone, the highway,
the motor car, the village movie the
railway, the steamboat, the rural mail
delivery, as well as other influences
that carry life interests to even the
most secluded estancia. Select any
of the 10 South American countries
and we find all of the above men
toned forces being gradually ex-
tended"
But there are other population
problems with which many, if not all,
of the countries of South America
must struggle. The same instincts
are to be observed in South America
as in North America in regard to ur-
ban and rural populations, Mr.. Reid
asserted, and Government reports
show congestion and overcrowding
in certain districts of Buenos Aires
and in some places in Chile and Bo-
livia and other South American coun-
tries.
No "Intensive" Agriculture.
There is no Intensive" agriculture
or industry in South America in the
4 same sense as in Belgium. Holland
' or Japan; and south American coun-
tries are regions in which man has
made little more than a good begin
ming in modernized or intensified till
ing of the soil, in working the mine
or tapping the forest, although stock
raising and wool production have