The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1962-04-06
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By ROBERT G. SPIVACK
FOREIGN AID AND
DETERIORATION

.
: 1t took so long for the Unite
States to overcome its isolationisr
/ that any criticism of the foreign al
J program may provide fodder TO
/ those modern "know-nothings' VIII
still think foreigners are inferior an
believe we ought to have as little t.
J do with them as possible.
Despite the risk it is necessary tina
we take little time to examine tn,
Presidents new foreign aid plan
or what President Eisenhower like
to call our mutual security pro
gram. 1t has one big deficiency along
with some smaller ones.
The American public is mature
enough to understand what is in
volved without sharing the keno
phobia expressed by perennial oppo
nents to the program. Nor need the
argument be couched in ancient terms
that is, we have enough people to
care for at home without helping
those abroad. In this modern world
we must do both jobs.
The big defect in our foreign
aid program is that our govern
ment knows that the world is over
populated and that in many places
the food supply does not keep pace
with population growth. But we do
little about it. Since 1945 man has
performed miracles in medicine.
We have made vast strides in de-
ferring death. But these results
have led to grave problems.
1t is ironic that two factors, an
uncontrolled birth rate and declin-
ing death rate, have combined to make
life unlivable in many countries. 1t
took 1917 centuries since the birth
of Christ for world population to
reach the one billion mark. Then it
took little more than one century to
double that population. In go years
it will double again.
In five years, experts estimate, the
population of China will increase by
10000, 900 people. 1t will take only
seven years for that to happen in
India. In SO years India's population
will quadruple. In the next 25 years
Mexico will have 100000 people,
twice her present size.
Throughout Latin America, Africa
and Asia the birth rate climbs two to
three per cent per year as the death
rate drops.
All this progress in delaying death
is something to cheer about. In Cey-
lon. for example, there used to be
periodic malaria. But in five years
the death rate was reduced from 20
per thousand to Ii per thousand. In
10 years Ceylon's population rose
from seven million to ten million.
LESS CHEERING SIDE
But there is less cheering side.
What happens, of course, is that in
every nation where population climbs
the new child becomes competitor
Of the older child for sheer susie
nance, food and all the other basic
necessities.
And that's where the foreign aid
program is involved. What good does
it do to pour billions into programs
to eradicate poverty and disease if
the population growth accelerates at
4 rate which we cannot keep pace?
The simple fact is that by our fail
Ire to meet the requests of men like
Nehru of India and Ayub Khan of
oakistan to provide birth control in
formation and instruments for their
people we undo the good effects OF
he whole program. The program is
slready under heavy attack because
n some nations, such as Vietnam, too
title of what we send over reaches
he people for whom it is intended.
The birth problem is one that
politicians do not want to discuss
in the open even though there are
many indications that all segments
of the public, including many Ro-
man Catholic leaders, are ready to
face up to it.
But the government lags behind. I
Me very agency that is most con-
erned about making the foreign aid
rogram effective-the Agency for
Development (AID)- s
as Just sent memo to all it's over