Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1939-01-20
Here And
There
By w. M. Smith


are so few good players of eithe,
pool or billiards among our yOunl
men in the Twin Cities. At the mo
ment l am more intrigued will
the discussions listened to in tina
most interesting hour.
If all the arguments to which
have listened in my years il
these two cities from young mer
who gather, unfortunately, to dis
count what others think they know
could have been worked out Il
their logical conclusion and applied
to all and sundry, the information
thus acquired would long since
have made this the best informed
community in this or any other
state.
On this occasion the talks were
on world population. There is a
world of information included in
the question of world population
and this have not space for. How
many people live on the earth is
important only as it leads one to
inquire why they live where they
do; why some portions of the earth
are densely inhabited while other
portions are almost barren of peO-
pie; when will the limit of pOpu-
latiOn the earth can support be
reached and a dozen or more re-
lated subjects of fascinating inter-
est and of vital concern to all of
us. Such as this one: Can the pop
ulatiOn of the earth be determined
with accuracy? The answer is yes,
as concerns two thirds of the
world; no, in the case of the other
third.
Where a census is taken, modern
methods lead to almost 100 per
cent correct results; otherwise, as
in Africa, and in some parts of
Europe and Asia, the result is
simply a guess and those who ar
que the question must be satisfied
with an estimate according to the
last estimate the total of the
earth's population is 1900 millions
Il O,OOO,OOO). This was the esti-
mate of 10 years ago. Today it has
probably reached 2,000,000,OO0 the
figure one of the better informed
men declared was the correct one.
Then the talk drifted and as l
listened again, the accomplish
ments of the Negro people were
being cited. Some one had said
something that recalled the hard
ships under which the group goes
forward. l was pleased to note the
unanimity with which the young
men most vigorously declared that
this was their country and they
proposed to stick and fight for
their rights even though every
hand was turned against them. /
could sympathize with and appre-
ciate their pride in the rapid and
unequaled progress of their people.
They recalled COleridge Taylor,
among the first hundred of the
worlds musical geniuses; Dubois,
who a few years ago in MinneapO-
lis scheduled for a half hours talk
before the Saturday Lunch Club
was held for two hours because of
his vivid enlightening exposition of
Africa and her people; Booker T.
and his world wide influence; our
brave and loyal regiments and how
they shed glory on Black America
men in the field of invention, sci
ence, literature and education.
They were we'll informed on this
And was glad for their pride even
subject and united in their pride
though l felt like saying to them
and to all other young men of our
communities that the outstanding
men mentioned and many more moi
named, to many equally brilliant
women, none of whom were spoken
of, the race owes a debt of graft
tude. What they have done for ouI
people has not alone been the cause
of our progress. The people whC
have cooperated, many hundreds Of
whom are known by name to but
few; the teachers who have car
ried the light of knowledge int
the south, the many God called
men and women too who have
lived and taught of life of highes
rectitude; the men and women il
every port of the country not salts
fed to indulge in argument for tn
sake of argument alone, to exhibi
superficial knowledge of som
important matters just to win ap
plause from their fellows, but VIII,
have given themselves and all the.
possess of time and talent in rea
constructive effort; who hav