Show I I Cooperation With Nith Mexico Big Boost to Agriculture Bilateral Exchange of Information Facilities And Personnel Does Much to Boost Farm Output Dy By rt Yens lieu's Analyst and Commentator Service Union Trust Building Washington D. D C. C In a few weeks now international cooperation will probably be the subject of ot 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 on up and down the land a number ot of scientific gentlemen who wont won't lose their jobs 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 ot an international international international organization which has al already already already al- al ready proved that it does work The Inter-American Inter Conference on Agriculture meeting in Mexico City will have concluded its second ses- ses Lion don by that time It is making a alot alot lot of progress progress but preceding it was another r meeting the United States- States Mexican n commission reports of ot whose session have not yet been nade Shade to the department of ot ure but interested officials know hat that when they are made they will ecord record definite practical progress They know this because they know hat that this commission has already red cooperative projects which save nave resulted in the saving of ot many dollars to both the United States and Mexico to say nothing of ot pro- pro noting good will in each country through rough mutual assistance The commission has furnished concrete con con- rete crete examples of international cooperation co co- operation which prove that it is both possible and practical Today more cotton blossoms are unfolding under the Texas sun more American fruit truit has the assurance of ot ripening and fewer cows will perIsh perish per per- ish of tick fever because of Mexican- Mexican American merican cooperation to to mention a afew afew afew few of the many positive achieve achieve- achievements achievements ments attained when wise men sit down together to work toward their common good The story of ot this particular effort really begins back In July of ot 1942 at atthe atthe atthe the first of the Inter Am meeting Inter Inter-Ameri rf- rf can Conference on Agriculture At that meeting energetic Senor M Marte rte Gomez Mexican minister of agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture took Secretary by the lapel and said in effect The Americas all have some agricultural agricultural ag ag- interests in common But Mexico and the United States have many New ew Projects Project That started something which was continued b by a long correspondence Between the two countries furthered oy American Ambassador to Mexico and Secretary Wick Wick- ard Plans were laid for merging various arious 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 by byboth byboth both governments Carrying out these projects by the department of agriculture has required no extra appropriations appropriations appropriations ap ap- from congress It is merely an extension of already ap approved approved ap- ap p- p proved programs for getting gratis assistance from the Mexicans In doing it there has been a bilateral exchange of ot information facilities and personnel Take the largest project which hasto has hasto hasto to do with the pink boll worm This story starts in Egypt where the wicked foe of ot the cotton plant may have been flourishing since the days of ot the Pharaohs for all I r Anyhow the worm turned up in Mexico Mex Mex- ico tco in about 1911 having sneaked across the Atlantic from the banks of the Nile in infected seed cotton By 1916 the worm boll family had grown and some of the more am ambitious ambitious am members decided to migrate te again They took wing and flew across the Rio Grande into the United Unit Unit- United ed States Measures were taken against the pest and it never got ou out t of ot control in the main cotton area But in the Laguna area in Mexico it has a firm hold and southern souther n Texas is threatened Naturally th the e United States wants to keep all pests pest s out of the United States and the best thing to do about it is what the Mexicans Mex Hex cans want most to do destroy do-destroy destroy the them m at the source So American experts from the department department department de de- I of agriculture have taught their Mexican colleagues what w we e 1 know about eradication the tall fall clean up of ot the infected stalks the s sterilization of seeds before they are shipped out or planted 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 ot the pest at first hand and improving our techniques in fighting it t. t Mexican Fruit Fly Another large project is directed against the life liberty and evil pursuits pursuits pursuits pur pur- suits of the Mexican an fruit fly That insect flourishing nourishing in western Mexico co has not disturbed us as yet but preventive measures are being worked out and the Mexicans have learned to sterilize their own fruit so that it can safely enter the United States As a result of ot the Joint efforts and studies an obliging wasp has been i imported from Panama which likes nothing better in fact likes nothing else at all aU but these fruit truit flies fifes for breakfast dinner and supper The wasp has been introduced into Mexico Mex ico as a predator pred tor The meaning of that title you can figure out for yourself Other projects might be mentioned men but this is not meant to be a technical article it is merely the record of ot one kind of at international cooperation which has been made effective effective ef ef- 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 hi recent years yeats and side by side with this growing progress and increased efficiency efficiency efficiency ef ef- has developed a feeling of mutual confidence on the part of the two 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 ties notably in California Mexico's department of agriculture employees employ employ- ees are far less subject to political whims than formerly Mexican agriculture is progressing progressing progress progress- ing and turning to the United States for tor advice and counsel A veritable parade of Mexican agriculturists passes through the office of P. P M M. M Amlee of the Latin American divi divi- division sion slon of th 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 n not t a war baby It started before 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 program program pro pro- gram will rest on a more permanent permanent permanent perma perma- nent foundation Of course some of the war time ventures are embraced in the work of at the United States States- Mexican commission like commission like the i rubber rubber rubber rub rub- ber growing projects but the more profitable solid and permanent arts of peace are the basis of ot the whole program e C e e War Time Restrictions If It 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 b be prosecuted for in Great Britain these days 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 south coast of at England and sections of the coast elsewhere are military areas Buying clothes without giving up coupons A shopkeeper who tries to sell clothes without coupons is involved in the black market Sooner Soon Soon- er or later h he finds himself in court along with many of his customers Being consistently late to work in the morning Changing your job without having the ministry of ot labors labor's permission Driving to work it is an offense to drive to work along a route served by buses or trains however crowded they may be Throwing away a piece of ot string itis it is needed for salvage Selling an tin American lend lend leased leased alarm clock Only workers who have to get up between midnight and 5 a a. a m m. are given these per mits |