WORLD FREEDOM FROM WANT
SIR,—In your admirable article of 28/3/47, Trade Targets, there is just one point I would query. It was stated therein that the standard of living of all Asiatic peoples can and will be raised and their productive capacity increased accordingly, though not in the near future. This event is, I fear, impossible for centuries to come, simply because these countries, e.g., e.hina, Japan, India, are heavily over-populated and practise unrestrained reproduction so their populations increase and will increase as fast as any feasible economic development. This was recognised as regards India by the Royal Commission of Agriculture's Report of 1928-29, paragraph 499, and in the books on China of J. 0. P. Bland, formerly The Times correspondent there. The general adoption of birth control in Asia, a result which could be brought about only by widespread education, is a condition precedent to any rise in the standard of living. Such adoption, however, will take a very long time to bring about. Also the economic possibilities of India and probably China are very limited.
Sir John Megaw, I.M.S. retired, Professor A. V. Hill in his addresses on India and Lord Cherwell in recent debates in Parliament express such views. Vide also World Population, Carr-Saunders. It is pathetic how the Hot Springs Conference, F.A.O., Mr. Attlee, Sir John Boyd Orr and the food and agricultural experts have held out a glowing prospect of the whole world made free from want in the not so distant future by scientific, agricultural and other development and international action for supply of foodstuffs to sub-standard countries. The objective is imprac- ticable. Whatever is done, the peoples of Asia will long continue in their present condition of mass under-nutrition, and, as population can never exceed food supply, Nature will continue to sweep off periodically the excess mouths by her age-long rough remedies of famine, pestilence and
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