Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-14
Our Crowded World

UndJ TeaQ tine SUdr, Decem-
Der 29) DR.. George w. Beadle's
remarks relative to population
size and birth control and also
the subsequent comments by
two readers condemning the
use of birth control. Without
making any attempt to differ
entiate between their two let
tiers. I would like to afford
myself this opportunity to re-
Duke both Richard E. Fitz-
gerald and John P. Witsil, who
have written letters shame
fully stepped with the falla-
cious philosophy that science
and religion are incompatible.
When God placed man upon
the earth, man was endowed
with the capacity for rational
thinking; the world was at
mans disposal, to be made
better or worse. AS DR.. Beadle
has pointed out, the world has
become dangerously overpopu-
lated and great segments of
its peoples are faced with the
prospect of starvation. That
food supplies are not increas-
ing at a rate commensurate
with the rate of population in
crease can lead only to dire
consequences. Is it not logical
then, for man to call upon his
God-given intellectual re-
sources and devise an effective
means birth CONTROL of curb
ing the rate of population in
crease? 1 am quite certain that
it is not Gods will to have
m an exterminate himself
through indiscriminate repro
duction with no regard to the
unavoidable consequences OF
an inadequate food supply.
The United States has not
yet begun to feel the ravages
OF overpopulation and probably
will not for some generations
to come. Nonetheless we must,
in an attitude Of unselfishness.
take steps to insure our de-
scendants an adequate food
supply.
Donald L. Blamberg.
Your readers who find all
thoughts of birth control de-
plorable refer to the fact that
all scientists involved with this
problem are to blame for pro-
noting efforts that the matter
be taken in hand at once. In
effect this is not true, because
even the heads of state in
countries of every religious
denomination are vitality con-
cerned with this problem. The
subject Of birth control is one
of the most prolific topics dis
cussed in newspapers, maya
zines and meetings. within
governments, throughout the
world. 1t might interest these
people to know that the
Catholic Federation in the
Netherlands has offered a
tremendous cash prize if the
federation can be shown how
to control births within the
concepts of the church. The
problem encountered concerns
various South American coun-
tries and other underdeveloped
areas where people are so
poverty stricken and miserable
they are losing faith in reli-
gion.
There is a specific limit to
what this planet can yield and
experts the world over agree
that agricultural techniques,
along with the conservation of
natural resources. cannot, I'M
der present knowledge. keep
pace with the unbelievable ex-
plosion in population. At the
present time, we are not able
to absorb the more than $780,
900 new people who must find
room on this planet every "a
hours. There is little question
that mankind operates under
the illusion that one of his
prime functions on earth is to
leave behind a multitude of
descendants and, to some ex-
tent, these people will go down
in history as being very skilled
In homicide.