Show 1 Cooperation With Mexico 11 f Big Boost to Agriculture c e J Bilateral Exchange of Information Facilities Facilities J ties and Personnel Does Much To Boost Farm Output t BAUKHAGE By N Nests Nest's Wj Analyst and Commentator Service Union Trust Building Washington D D. D C. C In a few weeks now international cooperation will probably be the subject of heated political debate The opponents of this benevolent concept will having exhausted other arguments against It probably end up with the usual statement that cooperation between nations might be all right In theory but it wont won't work While this controversy Is going on up and down the land a number of scientific gentlemen who wont won't lose their jobs i If the administration changes here in Washington and who pester themselves not so much about votes as about pests will be calmly reading the reports of an International international international organization which has a already al ale ready proved that it does work The Inter-American Inter Conference on Agriculture meeting in Mexico City will have concluded its second sesSion session ses ses- sion by that time It is making a alot alot lot of progress but preceding it was another meeting the United States States- Mexican commission reports of whose session have not yet been made to the department of agriculture agriculture ture but interested officials knowE know E that when they are made they will record definite practical progress They know this because they know that this commission has already furthered cooperative projects which have resulted In the saving of many dollars to both the United States and Mexico to say nothing of promoting promoting promoting pro pro- good will In each country through mutual assistance The commission has furnished concrete examples of international cooperation cooperation cooper cooper- which prove that it is both possible and practical Today more cotton blossoms are unfolding under the Texas sun more American fruit has the assurance of ripening and fewer cows will perish perish perish per per- ish of tick fever because of Mexican Mexican- American cooperation to to mention a afew afew afew few of the many positive achievements achieve achieve- ments attained when wise men sit down don together to work wark toward their common good The story of this particular effort really begins back 1 In N July of 1942 at atthe atthe atthe the first meeting of the Inter Ameri can Conference on Agriculture At that meeting energetic Senor Marte Gomez Mexican minister of agriculture agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture took Secretary bythe bythe by bythe the lapel and said in n effect The Americas all have some agrIcultural agricultural ag ag- agricultural interests in common But Mexico and the United States have many New Projects That started something which was continued b by a long correspondence between bet the two countries furthered by American Ambassador to Mexico and Secretary Wick Wick- ard and Plans were laid for merging various projects on which there had already been some cooperation and others which were In the making As an Illustration let me mention two projects which are supported byboth byboth by byboth both governments Carrying out these projects by the department of agriculture has required no extra appropriations appropriations ap ap- appropriations from front congress It is merely an extension of already approved approved approved ap ap- proved programs for getting gratis assistance from the Mexicans In doing it it there has been a bilateral exchange of information facilities and personnel Take the largest project hasto has hasto to do with the pink boll worm This story starts in Egypt where the wicked foe of the cotton plant plan t may have been flourishing since th the e days of the Pharaohs for all I know Anyhow the worm turned up in Mexico Mexico Mexico Mex Mex- ico in about 1911 having sneaked across the Atlantic from the banks o othe of t the Nile in infected seed cotton By 1916 the worm boll family ha had d grown and some of the more ambitious ambitious ambitious am am- members decided to migrate S aga again They took wing and flew v across the Rio Grande into the United United United Unit Unit- ed States Measures were taken take n against the pest and It never got ou out t of control in the main cotton area But In the Laguna area In Mexico it has a firm hold and southern southe rn Texas is threatened Naturally th the United States wants to keep all pests pest s out of the United States and the best bes t thing to do about it is what the Me Mexicans Mex Mex- x leans want most to do destroy do-destroy destroy the theat them m at the source So American experts from the department department de of agriculture have taught taug ht their Mexican colleagues what w we e r- r know about eradication the fall clean up of the infected stalks the s sterilization of seeds before they are shipped out or planted plated and other measures We on the other hand have had the facilities of an office in Monterey Mexico where we are assisted In the study of the life and habits of the pest at first hand and Improving our techniques In fighting it Mexican Fruit Fly Another large project Is directed directed against the life liberty and evil pursuits pursuits pursuits pur pur- suits of the Mexican fruit fly That insect flourishing in western Mexico co has not disturbed us as yet but I preventive measures are being worked out and the Mexicans have i learned to sterilize their own fruit fruito s so o that It can safely enter the United I States I As a result of the joint efforts and I studies an obliging wasp has been imported imparted from Panama which likes I J nothing n better in fact likes nothing else at all but these fruit flies lies for breakfast dinner and supper The wasp has been Introduced Into Mexico Mexico Mexico Mex Mex- ico as a predator The meaning of that title you can figure out for yourself Other projects might be mentioned mentioned men men- t but this is not meant to be a technical article It is merely the record of one kind of international cooperation which has been made effective effective ef ef- festive with the admixture of a little little little lit lit- tle patience and some wisdom Great strides have been made in agriculture in Mexico in recent years ears and side by side with this growing rowing progress and increased efficiency ef ef- ef fi has developed a feeling of mutual confidence on the part of the two rive nations which have shared their experiences Minister Gomez is more than a apolitical apolitical apolitical political appointee He is a trained agriculturist Under him are many trained men a large number who have attended American universities universities t ties ies notably in California Mexico's department of agriculture employees employ employ- e ees es are far less subject to to political whims than formerly Mexican agriculture is progressing progressing progressing progress progress- ing and turning to the United States for advice and counsel A veritable parade of Mexican agriculturists passes through the office of P. P P M. M Amlee of the Latin American division division divi divi- division sion of the bureau of foreign agricultural agricultural agricultural agri agri- cultural relations Most of them speak English If they cant can't they can still pool their experiences thanks to trained interpreters This arrangement is not a war baby It started before belore the war and an effort is being made to emphasize emphasize emphasize size the common problems which exist exist exist ex ex- in peace time so that the program pro gram will rest on a more permanent permanent perma perma- nent neat foundation Of course some of the war time ventures are embraced in the work of the United States- States Mexican commission like commission like the rubber rubber rubber rub rub- ber growing projects but the more profitable solid and permanent arts of peace are the basis of the whole program War-Time War Restrictions I If you think the governments government's wartime wartime wartime war war- time regulations are too severe inthis in inthis inthis this country look over this list of things you can be prosecuted for in Great Britain these days Not washing your empty milk botties bottles bottles bot bot- ties dairies are as short on soap Trying to cut ahead a line of people people peo pee pie waiting for a bus Throwing a crust of bread into the garbage bin Going to the seashore the sou south th coast of England and sections of th the e coast elsewhere are military areas Buying clothes without giving u up p coupons A shopkeeper who tries trie s to sell clothes without coupons i is s involved in hi the black market Sooner Soon Soon- er en or later he finds himself in tour court t t along with many of his customers Being consistently late to work inthe in th inthe I the m morning Changing your job jab without havin having g the ministry of labors labor's permission Driving to work it is an offense t to a drive to work along a route served serve d c by buses or trains however crowded crowds d they may be Throwing away a piece of string it is needed for salvage Selling an American lend leased d alarm clock Only workers wh who o have to get up between midnight t and 5 a. a m m. m are given these per mits |