The New Malthusians

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29330, 8 October 1960, Page 3

The New Malthusians

Sir.—lnvariably we find that “overpopulated” areas are in reality underdeveloped, and the people impoverished and starving. "Twentieth-Century Malthusian" states that a rise in the standard of living means a rise in the reproduction rate. But a high standard of living presupposes an ability to adequately feed the population. America produces more than enough for herself, and dumps her vast surpluses. The enlightened West complains of over-production, but instead of selling her surpluses, it sells birth control to the underproductive nations. If populations are not adequately fed now, they will not be adequately fed with the help of contraceptives, for birth control cannot decrease the population, but only reduce growth. So these countries remain poor and starved, while the West gets even richer from the sale of contraceptive* and continues throwing away precious supplies pf food into the sea. Criminal neglect and wanton wastefulness are the problem, not man’s God-given powers of procreation.—Yours, etc., October 7, 1960.