Evening star., 1927-08-07
BY WILLIS J. RAILINGER

TVEN though such a noted intel
- lectual figure as James Harvey
Robinson predicts that the late
- war will be the last one in his
tory. other great world scien-
lists are busy sounding tocsins of
alarm over the temperance of a VEN
cradle foe of peace on earth--the silent
hut ominous advance of population on
the supporting powers of nature.
Last year at the famous world con-
ference of great scientists held in Ok
ford an eminent food expert foreSaw
the swift approach Of a world food
famine.
A great American biologist has
broken into print with the discomfort
ing prophecy that the overpopulation
OF the earth will be witnessed by the
grandchildren of people now alive.
An American sociologist recently de-
clared that the world would be simply
deluged with people by the year 1000.
But as far as a noted American his
torian is concerned. the United States
has already taken precautionary steps
to avert our country becoming a grim
battle ground for the survival of the
f1t in an era when the pressure of
population might bring down millions
TO Chinese levels of closeness to the
wolf of want.
immigration Restrictions Cited.
Thanks to our restriction of immi-
grafton. the United States can look
forward to a century lying just ahead
in which the relatively small number
of people in America will enjoy in
plenty the unparalleled wealth of this
Nation. Because of this law our popu-
lation will either be stationary or in
crease only slightly. There will be
abundance to go round. This pros
perity Will make us conservative as
people, stabilize our social institutions,
minimize friction between capital and
labor, fulfill the aim of our founders
to make us nation of property hold
ers and keep us out of the dangers of
imperialistic conquest"
1 was sitting in the home of DR.,
Ralph Gabriel of Yale University. DIR.
Gabriel has been a close student of
American problems for a number of
years, and on account of his wide
knowledge of American development
as nation was chosen to be the
editor-in-chief of an epochmaking his
torfcal work now in the process of
consummation. He is engaged in tell.
ing IN picture form the history of the
american people-the DEVELOPMENT of
the farmer, the business man, the la.
erary figure from colonial days down
to the present. was glancing inter.
estediy at a picture in one of the vol
unes OF this series showing what an
american farm looked like Just before
the outbreak of the Revolution. when
l happened to ask the following ques.
ton:
DIR. Gabriel, Congress has put thou.
SANDS OF laws on our statute books
what do you consider one of the great
est pieces of legislation ever enacted
in our Nation?"
THE law restricting immigrat ton"
replied Dr.. Gabriel promptly. Few
people have the vision to foresee how
that law will profoundly shape our
destiny in the years to come and how
much 1t means to the future happiness
OF the American people"
Prosperity Is Problem. :
II have heard it commended be.
cause it kept cheap labor out of the
country, curtailed our supply of gun
men from southern Europe. brought
into the country more people who were
temperamenta1ly suited to the judicial
nature of our Government Have YOU
any different argument to advance in
its behalf?" I asked.
The problem of good government
Is to encourage as much as possible a
condition of widespread material pros.
perity among the people of a country.
Lack of such prosperity has caused
the life of a nation to be disturbed and
even to find an outlet in violent revo.
luton. And the question of the eco.
nomic prosperity of the American peo.
pie in the future is a question of pop.
ulation. The more people we have the
more we will have to feed, clothe and
shelter and the less there will be to go
around for the people of the Nation
as a whole. We may have rich re-
sources, but it is very conceivable that