Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-09-19

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19-Imagf-
native writers for the last decade
have been c%onjuring up prospect of
a war with the orient and have
frightened many a credulous Ameri-
can with tales OF the horrors of an
oriental conflict. The war has never
developed and the success of the
Washington conference which last
year settled many perplexing ques-
tions concerning the Pacific situa-
ton makes such a war even more
improbable than ever before. How
ever, the most imaginative of the
lingo yellow peril writer's never sug-
gested any for eastern warfare quite
so destructive as one that is being
waged right now and on our own ter
ritory.
Seven years ago there rode into
United States on the root of an
azalea plant an oriental warrior who
evaded the coast ~defenses, the immi-
grafton inspectors and the plant
quarantine men, and since his ar
rival has %terrorized 700, 900 square
miles of American territory. He is
atout the size of the common potato
bug, but, true to the form of the
oriental warrior, is decked in gor-
geous colored armour of brilliant
green and bronze. He is the Japan
csc beetle.
The Japanese beetle made his
first appearance in Burlington coun-
ty, New Jersey. He has subjugated
the varieties of plant life which he
prefers in that county and since
has crossed the Delaware river, at
about the same place that General
Washington did, and has laid waste
three Pennsylvania counties-Bucks,
Nc ~ 90 ~ y y ,-l DAf1oAaInHf nfl,1
United States authorities have de-
tailed an army of 200 men to fight
the beetle and the state governments
of New Jersey and Pennsylvania
have Joined in the defensive war
fare, but, to date, the Japanese
beetle continues to win. Every year
sees new conquests of grass and
trees and of course each new season
sees an increasing number of the
beetles. The officials make no Sc
cret of their fears that unless the
beetle can be stopped he will ulti-
mately Y the entire country,
actually doing mor damage in dol
lars and cents and, possibly, in dis
comfort to the population, than an
Oriental army.
More than 500 different kinds Of
poisonous sprays have been used in
combating the Japanese beetle and
other insects have been brought in
as allies to fight the pest, but to nc
avail. The chief hope of the gov
eminent rests IN a new set OF in
sects which has been imported from
Japan. They are the natural enc
mics of the beetle and it is hoped
that they will develop fast enough
to destroy the first conner. 1t may
be possible that even if they do they
themselves Vill become a pest in
their turn when their fighting Job
is done.
Has a Catholic Appetite
Principally the japanese beetle at
tacks fruit trees. but is indifferent
as to the variety of fruit. Apple
trees, peach, plum and cherry trees
are attacked unfortunately. Corn,
vegetables and even the flower gar
den are not immune and the leaves
Of maple, birch and oak trees as
well as clover and grass fall before
this omnixorous invader. Even the
green lawns of the golf links are its
prey. In the counties in New Jer-
sey and Pennsylvania where the
beetle has been at work, thousands
of trees may be seen without a sim
gle leaf upon them. A curious
fact is that the beetle always eats
the leaves of a fruit tree before
attacking the fruit and sometimes
will not attack the fruit at all. In
asmuch as a tree breathes through
it's leaves as a man breathes through
his lungs, a tree defoliated by the
beetle dies.
Investigations made so far indi-
cate that the hollyhoek is probably
the favorite diet of the japanese
beetles. Wherever they have found
these hardy Towering plants they
congregate so thickly upon the
stems that great clusters as large as
a mans fist Chamber over each
other. The government Investigators
have compiled a long list of the diff
ferent varieties of vegetation which
this oriental invader devours. 1t
shows a tremendous appetite on the
part of the visitor but not a cry
discriminating one. The beetle will
dine off the most delicate rose of a
highly cultivated garden and then
turn with apparently equal re|ish to
smartweed, daisies, ivy, sassafras
or milkweed.
But the beetles appetite Is not
50 impetuous that he eats before he
looks. The beetle will not touch
any sort of poison. On this point he
Is a hundred times nor discrimi-
mating than a human being or than
most animals. OF the five hundred
cleverly devised and disguised poi
sonous sprays which have been