Pueblo chieftain., 1921-02-26
BY Frederic j. Haskin.

Washington. u. c. Feb. aS.-Can
Europe and Asia be taught 10 cat
corn7
This momontous question has been
raised again by the sift OF million
bushels OF corn which American farm
, crs are sending to starving Euro
peans and Chinese.
You must know that in practically
no country outside of the two hmcri-
cas- has maize. or\ Indian corn, been
used to any extent as human food. II
has been regarded as food for livestock
only. The un-American world has
simply never learned to cat corn. But
now large sections OF that world are
starving This would seem TO be a
most unusual opportunity to teach
Europe and Asia TO eat corn to tho ad-
vantage of all parties concerned. Eur
opo would have a new food, and Amer
lea would have a new export market
for its growing corn crop
Last season this country produced
:. %. .3ss 900 bushels OF corn. considerJt-
bly, moro than the average for the past
five years., $50. .000. 900. But tho big
crop has not brought prosperity to the
mid western farmers. Instead corn
prices have fallen to less than half
what they were last year. and many
farmers have harvested their corn at a
loss.
In view OF these facts. a young mi
nois farmer suggested the gift corn
project. which has grown to such pro-
portions. Tho offer was made to tho
committees for relief in China and tho
near cast. They considered tho diff
cuitics Of transportation and decided 10
try TO overcome them by obtaining do
nations OF money and help. Some
money has already been collected. and
trainmcn have offered their services
free in carrying the grain across coun-
try.
3 With this much OF tho ways and
means problem worked out the corn is
/ beginning to be collected at railroad
1 ccntcrs and the first cargo has been
shipped 20 Constantinople. An attempt
/ is to be made to keep track of individ
ual donations. so that report can be
rendered to tho glycr. showing when
and by whom the corn was used.
| shipping Troubles
shipping corn is a much more com
plicated business than shipping wheat
There Is about l. per cent water In
corn, and the moisture in the grain
therefore apt to cause mold in the
course OF lengthy TRANSPORTATION. Dam
age due to moisture has frequently
been a cause OF complaint in the com
plratively small shipments of corn
which we have sent to Europe.
Water can. however. be baked out OF
the corn by a kiln drying process. after
which II Will keep for "A much longer
time This precaution is to be taken
before the gift corn is shipped abroad
in the form OF meal. gratis and
huminy. Preparing the corn will NEAR
some delay. but special machinery
which would not be generally avail
able abroad Is needed 4 first ship
ment is expected to reach China IL
April. and 1t will then be ready foi
immediate consumption.
As distribution of the corn Is to b,
directly in the hands of relief commit
tees no difficulty in getting the pco
pic TO cat the corn is anticipated. II
China where thousands Of people hay,
been trying to live on bark and MOSES
there Will be no caVilinC over tn,
American corn being pigs food. An,
the committees believe that the grnir
win be equally welcome In Armcnis
and Hungary. Coru was used to som,
extent In Austria during the war
Europe has never liked IL very much
however, and generally preferred ry,
when wheat was not to be had.
Americans have felt that this dis
Ike was due mainly to iEnorancc-no
| many Europeans know much about
corn. and those who have TASTED 4
more often than not were preiudicet
by bad cooking
There is q story along this limo abou,
Carlyle and Emerson. Emerson writ,
! :" MS Aii'Hu' .ariSt' recommending
corn as food and saving that h,
had sent a package so that tho car,
lylo family might try Il. CarlyI,
wrote back politely to thank. Mr.. En-,
erson. but to say that after sevcra
experiments they really did not nnt
the flavor of corn meal agreeable Th,
correspondence stopped here until Mrs
Emerson could copy off some of he,
best recipes. Then the Carlyles wcr,
asked to try again. They did. anc
wrote back enthusiastically 10 know
where they could get more of tn,
American dclicacy.
| Carlyle Ate Corn
This incident, from the letters ol
Carlyle and Emerson, is one OF III,
grounds ON which Americans bas,
their conviction. that Europe wouI,
like corn If it could ever hc persuaded
10 sikc 1T fair trial The Department