OCR Text |
Show i " 1 ' -r I -1 "V i I ' i " W i U :: t " f I v,e do knew that practically every civilized nation on the face of the earth is troubled with or exposed to I ho pest, in the exchange of commodities com-modities in the ordinary course of trading between infected an nonin-l'ected nonin-l'ected countries is where the danger lies and where the preventative measures meas-ures must be applied. Wo always like to believe that with every disaster, some good may come out of it. In the cao of the recent outbreak in California, fome benefits did accure. It was found that the latest means of combating the spread of the disease were more effective than any tried in the past. It has been definitely proven that the foot and mouth germ is carried in the meat of infected animals and that the germ lives in the hone marrow even under refrigeration, lying dormant until brought out into higher tempa eratures, when they become active. This latter feature is important, because of the pressure which has been brought upon the Federal government gov-ernment to admit into America the meats from countries where the disease is known to exist. Many have maintained that this embargo laid Vt:::le n ;;loi kincii n:iy well fuel llKiiiki'ul that Hit! recent foot and ni'iu'Ii ili.;ea;;i outbreak in Southern Cul ill i 1 1 i.i '.v;r: eradicated within record tine-, ami with only four outbreak.). out-break.). They may feel thankful because be-cause never before in the history of disease eradication work was such an epidemic wiped out so quickly, at such small expense and with so little inconvenience to those concerned, and without the usual excitement and hysteria in such eases. Wo also owe a vote of thanks io the Federal, State nnd County forces who so ably went about their work and who won such a superb battle.. Eut now that the 1929 foot and mouth outbreak is a matter of history, livo stock leaders are more than ever determined that America must do everything possible to prevent another anoth-er outbreak. It has been definitely determined that the di-ieaso germ was brought into California through trimmings trim-mings of meat, which wis taken on by a round-the-world stet.mship at a South American poi t. The meat scraps were put ashore and fed to hogs in a Ixs Angeles county feedlot, and there the disease broke out. down by our federal bureau of animal industry was more of an economic embargo than a means of protection from disease but the contrary has now been definitely proven. It is beside be-side the question that American live stock producers are protected against competition from cheaper foreign meats. Congress will be asked to determine deter-mine whether or not the disease exists ex-ists in the Canal zone, and what the possibilities are of. infection being brought into the United States through American possessions from known sources of infection. The live stock industry, and its ramifications, is said to be the biggest single industry in-dustry in tbe United States. It is certainly sufficiently important to the economic welfare of the country as a whole to warrant full measures of protection against foot and mouth disease. California interests will ask for a congressional investigation to determine deter-mine the possibilities of infection be-f be-f ing brought into the country in many ways and also to inquire into the sufUeieney of present regulations and policing methods, the idea being to 'forever more' prevent the entrance of the pest into the United States. It ' is apparently up to the states to co- ' operate with the United States De partment of Agriculture, protecting I themselves with such legislation as may bo available and then carrying out the policing of such regulations. As the matter now stands, California Califor-nia authorities, with full realization of the dangers, are gus.rilieg all ports of entry. Yet the disease might just as well be brought into this country, through either the Canadian or Mexican Mexi-can border, or an Atlantic seaport; likewise, through Gulf ports and inland in-land water ways which go into the very heart of the Corn Belt, and agricultural sections of the United States. Not that these countries may have foot and mouth infection, but |