181

_ Half the

ALF the world’s people live,
in Asia—and they have to
feed, clothe and house themselves

on an average of less than one ,

dollar a week eacn. '

Fifty percent of the world’s
population, they receive less than
10 percent of the world’s income.

In North America—the U.S.
and Canada — a tenth of the
world’s people live. They get
an average of $33 a week each.

Ten percent of the world’s pop-
ulation, they receive nearly 45
percent of the world’s income.

That contrast is, of course, now
being rapidly modified by the im-
mense changes in China, Asia’s
largest country. There agricul-
tural output began to climb im-
Mediately the ‘People’s govern-
ment took over from the old cor-
rupt Chiang Kai-shek regime and
will continue to do so at ever-
increasing speed. ;

In China the days of famine are
gone; for the once-hungry peas-
ants and workers the days of
plenty approach.

Nevertheless, the contrast still
remains the most profound that
mankind has to face. But it
could easily be eliminated by.mod-
ern science. .

Humanity’s long war with pov-
erty, the war worth winning,
could easily be won. But it is
being ignored -today in prepara-
tion for a different kind of war.

The United Nations Economic
and Social Council has accumu-
lated enough facts about poverty
to wring the coldest heart, but
in six years it has failed to take
any action to end this misery.

It emphasises in its latest pub-
lications* the facts set out above,
and adds a great many more.

Are the Asian countries desert
areas? No, they are among the
most fertile in the world. In
many places they produce. two
or three harvests a year.

They are rich in minerals. Who
has not heard of the profits made
by those who exploit their oil,
tin, manganese, copper, and so
on? ‘They have great deposits of
coal and iron.

Is over-population the clue to
poverty? :

UT UGH G UOT HOOD COCR EM a

MPR hed

SUB EBUEE We a8

et 10 percent of
the world’s income

HEBe Ti il

No, for the UN reports show
that in South America, which has
huge fertile areas still unculti-
vated, poverty is hardly less
severe. Ecuador, for instance,
has a national income per head
of $45 a year. Immense and
underpopulated Brazil has less
than $150 a year for each person.

So where is the reason?

“A large part of it isto be found
in one word—profits. Profits paid
to the capitalism of America and
Europe. cs

About 27 percent of the na-
tional income of Northern Rhod-
esia is paid away as profits on
foreign investments. So is 17 per-

TT) UT Cee

cent of the income of Venezuela
and 13 percent of Persian income.
“The United States is py far
the most important recipient of

investment income from over-_

seas,” one report tells us. Am-
erieans get an average of over
M47 percent profit on their invest-
ments in Latin America.

6

Another report deals with agri-
culture in under-developed coun-
tries. : i

The report shows that sweep-
ing land reforms, cooperative
farming, and ‘plans for “general
industrial development” on a
wide basis are necessary if rural

.

THIGHS it TRUER

\

poverty is to be tackled properly.
In India, Indonesia, and the
Middle East half the crop grown
by the cultivator usually goes to
the landlord, sometimes more. In
addition the peasant has to main-
tain moneylenders who lend at
exhorbitant rates; the peasants
are often the most heavily taxed
section of the community.

Halfway land reforms like those
recently tried in India and Jap-
an may partially alleviate the
suffering of sections of the peas-
ants. But they usually neglect
the landless lakorers, the most
poverty-stricken of all, and do
not prevent a re-growth of land-

%

a ue H

lordism, the report reveals.
Such criticism cannot be levell-
ed against the land reforms in
Eastern Europe which “are likely”
to result in a-large increase 1?
yields,” or those in People’s Chin®
to which the repdrt only brief
refers. '

The statistics on which thes?

reports are based are, as they ad-
mit, often inadequate. They’ az
nearly always official and tend to
cover up awkward facts. ;

But with all their limitation®
they are a tremendous challeng®
to. the world.

As a recent editorial in thé

it:

“The problem of raising We

ing standards is one that can
«scarcely be overrated. The
earth is rich enough and nature

“generous enough to provide in

plenty for several times the
world’s present population.
“Ways and means can
found to eliminate the mov
strous injustices and iniquitie® -

of the present economic struc

ture.

“The idea at this juncture
is not to find radical solutions
or to suggest a capital OVE
haul. These are questions which
each nation must decide 1
itself. The idea at present is
to agree on reasonable meas

ures that ¢an be ‘carried jus

within the framework of e!5"

ing systems.” vedi

But the United Nations }#
shown that so far it does not ©”
for such ideas. ;

That is why the Interna
Economic Conference, soon to
held in the Soviet Union,
portant. That conference
carry further forward
struggle against poverty iy
which men in all lands, not oF :
in Asia, are looking.

tional

will
tbe

f
* Economic Development °

Un de r- developed Countries’
Land Reform: Defects in Ag
ian Structure as Obstacles
Economic Development.

Economic Development
Under-developed Countries:
ume and Distribution of
tional Income in Under-dev™ —
oped countries.

vol

eg

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