Evening star., 1958-07-06
Men and Honsters

Generally speaking, In its latest re-
port on the prospective growth Of popu-
lation throughout the world, the United
Nations Bureau Of Social Affairs has
drawn rather chilling picture Of hu-
man beings multiplying their numbers
at q pace that is not merely explosive
but potentially catastrophe, assuming
that nothing is done about 1t. Here are
few Of the statistics:
~ BY the end Of the century, a
short four decades from now, the worlds
present population Of 2.5 billion may
total as much as or billion-a growth
that can hardly fail TO have the most
profound impact on the nature Of mans
existence economically, socially, cultur-
ally, militarily and otherwise. (2) II the
present trend continues without letup,
which seems altogether likely, our earth
in the coming so, 70 or 80 years viii move
rapidly toward time when it will have
to support between 10 and 25 billion hui
man beings. And (3), to cite but one Of
the changes in prospect, the balance OF
power-in terms of numberS-will shift
drastically from the Occident (including
Russia) to Asia between now and 1000
ADJ
AS to the general outlook, the U. N.
report has this to say: while 1t took
100000 years for the worlds human
population to reach $500 million, it will
now take mere 80 years to add another
1000 million. With the present rate Of
increase, 1t can be calculated that in 600
years the number Of human beings on
earth will be such that there will be only
one square meter for each to live on
[including arctic wastes, deserts and
mountain topsl. 1t goes without saying
that this can never take place; some
thing will happen to prevent it." But
what will happen? An all-annihilating
nuclear war? A universal enactment
and enforcement of form Of birth con-
troll acceptable to all religions? Or a
natural decline in fertility before our
race becomes as wildly reproductive as
rabbits or hamsters?'
The new U. N. study offers no
answers to questions of this sort. In
stead, it limits itself primarily to the
statistics Of the situation, and 1t quite
properly warns about them. Thus, at
one point, it makes the following Somber
observation: More disturbing than the
projected figure of a population amount
ing to 5000 or 1000 million is the fact
that 1t will probably be attained so soon:
At the time Of writing, the year 1000 Is
no further in the future than the year
1914 is In the past. Not only technical
achievement but progress in interna-
tional cooperation and organization
will have to be more effective than dur 3,
ing the past -. If the expected numbers
OF mankind are to be organizationally
and technologically accommodated to
the minimum conditions required for
human dignity"-.not to mention things
like food, housing and the ability to earn
q living.
At first glance, all this may seem to
be rather remote and academic. But it
is not actually so. Our own country's
population, for example, is expected to
grow from today'S ITO million to well
over 800 million in the next 40 years.
This is bound to have tremendous ef-
feet, and not necessarily good one, on
American society within the lifetime of
our children. AS for the world at large,
the new U. N. report makes clear that
the prospect constitutes challenge of
the first magnitude for peoples and gov
ernments everywhere.
IA. DoeLoIoiI. D:J.