The Daily Alaska empire., 1944-05-01

report of the movements of population in this country between l940 and 942 not yet clear due to the fact that the survey has been tabulaed not by economic or industrial areas, but by States. The fact however that the resident population of the District of Co., lumbia which of course, is identical with the City of Washington, increased by more than l8O00O in two years gives indication of the general trend The State of Maryland shows gain of 170,176 in the period and it may be taken for granted that this increase reflects principally the growth Of the City of Baltimore. Similarly, the increase of 43 373 for Virginia may be taken to represent mainly the growth of places like Norfolk and Newport News and perhaps more the overflow from the District itself.
 Of the six New England States, three, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont show diminished populations, while Massachusetts exhibits modest gain of 28.l3o Connecticut an impressive gain of 70061, and Rhode Island gain of 26970 Of the three Middle Atlantic States only New Jersey shows increase, but it is increase of nearly 68000 less than the single city of Washington D. c. New York State lost more than half million between 194o and 1s42 and Pennsylvania loss of about l84,000 Among the Southern States, besides Virginia South Carolina, Georgia and Florida show surprising gains, North Carolina and West Vir- ginia losses. In the Midwest, Ohio, Indiana Illinois and Michigan have gained Wisconsin has lost. Among the west North Central States only Missouri has gained while Minnesota, Iowa. the Dakotas, Kansas and Nebraska have lost In the east South Central region Kentucky has lost, while Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi have gained Of the Mountain States, Montana, Idahc Colorado and New Mexico have lost, while Arizona, Utah and Nevada have gained con- sderaby and Wyoming slightly All the Pacific States have gained, California tremendously, Washington considerably Oregon only little Among the west South Central States Arkansas Louisiana and Texas all have gained; Oklahoma has lost
 The picture is somewhat complicated by the fact that the great segment of the male population which drained into the armed services in this two year period apparently not included in the estl- v,,i tn havp hpen book registrations and corrected by vital statistics Presumably, however the ratio of enistments and incluctions would be fairly constant throughout the country But in view of this the gains in some of the Southern and Far Western States seem the more startling.
 All in all the reports tend to confirm what has long been obvious: wholesale movement of ind- viduals and families toward the big centers of gov ernmental administration and of industry The movement also appears to be centrifugal in the main, that is to say away the center of the country toward the coast As will be noted, all the Pacific States all the Gulf States and all the Atlantic States except New Hampshire, New York and North Carolina show gains The movement is also an accelaratlon of the tendency evident for generations, of our urban and industrial ceners to grow at the expense of the rural districts and the villages and hamets instead of by immigration was once the case. By
 the end of the war some of these migrants will have returned to their original homes, but many of them will certainly remain where they are in the expecta- ton of exchanging their jobs for places Of peace time industries In other words, the population of the United States is becoming more and more urban ized Now the universal testimony of history is that large urban communities unreproductve; that great cities grow not by propagation but by dranhe other areas. Thus, unless the trend is somehow re- versed the nanpower difficulties confronting the nation will be nothing to the difficulties that may confront it generation or two hence.