Show the united states unprecedented growth and her economic position by CHARLES D WALCOTT WALCO T smithsonian institution HE UNITED STATES un unprecedented p rece dented growth and her present THE commanding economic position have been made possible by abundance of natural resources individual and public economic policies have been predicated on this abundance minerals forests fur and game animals agricultural soils range lands fish and water resources wore were all seemingly inexhaustible in supply and all have been appropriated and exploited recklessly and wastefully the cream has been skimmed and all too often tile the mil khas been thrown away the whole philosophy of exploitation has been based on the theor theory of making maximum profits for the exploiter rather than the ideal of greatest service and lasting benefit to tile the people of the world as a whole tho resources seemed unlimited and it was assumed that flint future requirements would adjust themselves automatically and eliat posterity wo would uld take care of itself now the point has been reached where it is evident that the resources have a limit expansion cannot conti continue nito indefinitely nor c can in even the present scale of consumption be maintained as population laton increases unless steps are taken to replenish alic supply the pressure of scarcity and increasing costs of exploitation demand the elimination of wastes tile the intensive utilization of the resources that are arc left and the discovery or creation of new supplies |