Evening star., 1949-02-13
Economist BIomes Population
Rise for Troubles of Orient

try. Coal, petroleum and iron, the
basic materials for industrial pow
er in South Korea are lacking
Imports of mineral fuels are al
ready a heavy drain on South
Korea's economy.
Comb Mountains for Fuel.
It's barren hills and mountain
sides are a depressing sight. Even
grass and leaves are raked for
fuel, all of which results in marked
erosion and increased flood dam
age. In this respect, systematic
forestry and beautifully wooded
hills of Japan are a delightful con-
trast. Korean agriculture gener-
ally requires large quantities of
mineral fertilizers. DR.. Peterson
emphasized. During the war, the
japanese diverted the fertilizer
plants to the making of munitions
with the result that soil fertility
declined to a marked degree. One
of the chief contributions of the
United States to South Korea has
been to furnish thousands OF tons
of nitrogen and phosphate fertil-
izers because the chief resources
of Korea are her agricultural land,
a large force of unskilled labor and
abundant water power awaiting
development"
THE chief Communist appeal
in South Korea seems to be a
policy of redistributing the land
to the millions of peasants" this
American economist pointed out .
It's fallacy could not possibly be
more absurd, for the existing farm
units are already too small to
utilize labor effectively. The
adoption of a plan to further re-
duce these units would only bring
about reduction in total food
production and bring famine
nearer"
Japan, too, is vastly overpopu-
lated. The repatriation from
Korea, Manchuria and other ter
ritories lost during World War II,
and the present high birthrate
have increased the population
density in this already over
crowded land. On the other hand,
the technical skill and industry
of the japanese have resulted in
a marked recovery from the raid
damages and fires OF the war even
in Hiroshima. Industrial ,recov-
cry, however, Is being retarded by
lack of raw materials.
Food Problem Foremost.
The main long grange problem
for Japan is. whether she can feed
her people" DR.. Peterson said.
ITO do this. she will need i'm
ports of iron ore, petroleum, dbers
and food. In turn she must re-
trieve her lost world markets as
well as find new ones for her
manufactures. Japan's nearest
and, in many cases, best oppor-
tunities for trade are undoubtedly
with her neighbors, China and
Korea. Consequently, she is vital
ly concerned with how her trade
relations with these neighbors
may be affected by Communist
expansion on the continent in and
around China"
whats going to happen TO
China?" is the question most fire.
quently put to Dr.. Peterson since
his return from the Far East
What may develop from the crises
in her military and political stu
ations is any ones guess, ne be-
lieves.
OF this he is certaln-the
Chinese, like the japanese and
the Koreans. have too much OF
one thing and too little OF an
other-too much population and
too little fuel and food. II coal
were more readily available for
fuel, more land could be diverted
to produce food and timber. and
more vegetation would be available
for fertilizer.
Incidentally, he is Of the opin-
ion that the great bulk of the
Chinese are not too concerned