Evening star., 1952-10-20
Standing Room Only
Seen in ZOO Years
Growth Of Eorth's Population
Holds Frightening Possibilities
BY Thomos R. Henry

There is frightening possibility that
in a little more than 900 years the
population of the earth will have reached
a density of $4,000 persons per square
mile for the entire surface of the globe.
This is the figure of DR.. Robert c.
Cook, head of the Population Reference
Bureau here.
To-day" he says. "the earth's popu-
lation density is AZ persons per square
mile. At the present rate of growth of
approximately one per cent per year.
the world population would double in
70 years. Nine more doublings could
be achieved in $50 years. This would
mean 512 times as many people as
there are now. or about $4,000 persons
per square mile.
Population density of the entire
earth's dry surface would equal that
of the City of New York today. Nine
more doublings after that would mean
standing room only-12 million per
square mile, or two square feet per
person."
Lower Death Rate.
Worse than that, he says, is the
prospect of an increasing rate Of growth
by lowering the death rate of all nations
to that of Europe and North America
at present. The rate Of growth In Ceylon,
for example, has been greatly accel-
Grated since 1916. Ceylon now Is grow
ing at a rate of almost three per cent
annually and could double it's popula-
ton in Is years. or less.
"The same speed-up," Cook says,
could come to all the other areas Of the
earth where modern medicine and
technology have not yet cut death rates.
Three-quarters of the human race live
in these areas. The rate of growth Of
the world as whole could easily climb
to well over two per cent, doubling total
numbers every IS years or so. Should
that happen, global density equal to
that Of New York could be achieved in
about 315 years-standing room only
in about six centuries.
I'm terms Of time, 315 years in the
future is no more remote than the set
ting of Jamestown in the past. One
can safely guess that when jamestown
stood at the edge of this vast, virgin
continent, few Of its settlers dreamed
that by 1852 more than 155 million
would be sharing their heritage. Nor
do we dare contemplate what life would
be like If New York's congestion should
spread over the entire earth"
Witchcraft Still Practiced.
Witchcraft remains a potent force
among the San Bias Indians Of southern
Panama, according to DR.. Clyde E.
Keeler of the University of Pennsylvania.
Writing to Washington friend. DR..
Keeler says: Several days before
arrived, an Indian burned up some rub
bish on an island to clear it for farming.
In doing so he burned up some old
sticks and leaves that had been used as
medicine previously. The witch doctors
decided that the devils were angry about
this and especially the souls of persons
who had died of tuberculosis and other
diseases who had been treated with the
burned up medicine.
80 they had a four-day appease-
ment ceremony, with chanting and
smoking of ceremonial cigars one and
q half feet long-putting the burning
ends into the mouth. On the fourth
day each family sent out somebody in
a canoe with little wooden idols, armed
with little spears. water in shells. hot
pepper incense in gourds and many
palm tree and spiny stick crosses These
they set out along the path at the river
and along the path of the offending
island.
"A man called Sikwikolo has been
seen in dreams by several people bring
ing poison to them in gourd shell. OF
course. the man is possessed Of the
Devil because he ate certain birds tn
increase his personal powers without
calling on the services of the witch
doctors. So for week or two they have
discussed at the council hall, sometimes
twice day, what to do with Sikwikolo.
They decided to make him unconscious
with tar smoke and then give him q
small dose of inasuSu root, which they
use to kill dogs and cats. Four years ago
on a neighboring island they chopped
woman into little pieces because she
had been seen in the dreams of people
bringing poison to them"