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Show U. S. Scientist Hunts Snail's Foe To Save Guam Base WASHINGTON Somewhere in the African jungles is an American scientist on a mighty mission. He is hunting a snail-eater, preferably a hungry one. If he succeeds he's to take the animal to Guam by the fastest route. This unusual story has come to light in hearings before a house subcommittee on the navy appropriation appro-priation bill, Capt. W. F. Jennings, assistant chief of naval operations for island governments, told the story at secret se-cret hearings. The Japanese are a snail-eating clan. When they took over Guam during the war they brought their snails along. When they quit the island in the war they left a lot oi things, including their snails, behind. be-hind. The snails started producing by the millions. "They're about to take over the island," cried Captain Jennings. They are "about four to six inches long and weight about a pound to a pound and a quarter." The captain said those snails are about to eat the navy out of business busi-ness on the island. There are 11,-000 11,-000 arable acres on Guam; good for raising corn, potatoes, peas, melons and sugar without any mischief-making from the snails. When the situation got out of hand the navy yelped for help. National Na-tional Research council and the department de-partment of agriculture answered. They started a one-man search for snail-eaters in Africa. (The offending offend-ing snail happens to be a giant African one which the Japs somehow some-how imported.) Captain Jennings remarked that we may not be too safe from this snail in San Diego, Waterloo or Norfolk. |