South America

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 31, 1916

Now that our attention has been turned to South America by recent advance steps in organization of our work in that continent, some facts published in the Religious Telescope of March 22, 1916, may be of interest:—

“The total population of South America is estimated at 45,000,000.

“The pure Indian population is variously estimated at 6,000,000 to 15,000,000.

“The number of Negroes in Brazil is given as about 4,000,000.

“South America is twice the size of Europe, three times the size of China, sixty times the size of the British Isles.

“In Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay the population is illiterate to the extent of fifty, eighty, and ninety per cent, respectively.

“Fifty years ago Japan was a pagan nation, but today there are three times as many teachers and three times as many pupils in the schools of Japan as in the schools of all South America.

“In Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Paraguay the population is illegitimate to the extent of eighteen, twenty-seven, fifty, fifty-eight, and ninety per cent, respectively. . . .

“Speaking generally, there are no doctors outside of the larger towns, but an appalling prevalence of disease.”