Show science nabs insect villains and t halts threatened nations trade rift how a bacteriologist settled an acrimonious dispute which threatened to disrupt trade relations between certain latin american countries and the united states by discovering cover ing that insect pests were the real villains in the plot is told by dr edith E ware in a survey of international studies in the united states issued by the columbia university press hides a staple export elport from the latin american countries to this country were declared by the american purchasers to be anything but first grade when received the shippers however maintained that those same hides were prime quality and in perfect condition when they left the south american port each group blamed the other far dishonest practices says the report of the study the hostile feelings toward the united states ind and toward american business men that developed during the controversy became a matter of great concern berh to the department of state investigations through representatives of the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce at this end exonerate ed the american importers diplo r i matic channels failed to find any y solution v As it happened a bacteriologist hearing about the controversy guessed that some insect or bacteria may have multiplied rapidly while the cargoes were passing through equatorial heat and that such pests may have caused deterioration experiments proved this guess to be the explanation moreover a proper protective treatment of the hides prior to shipment was discovered recriminations and develop developing inc antagonisms injurious to trade an and amicable international relations were forgotten when the real villains insect pests were destroyed had no solution been found in this particular case the resultant break fy A down in trade would have caused f t f the treasury department to be cona berned over the international pay ments between the two countries since ability to pay for united states goods would have been curtailed by unwillingness to sell disadvantageously to tho american market |