Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-25
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

There is a very significant lesson
presented by the contrast of interest
found In calamity which comes sud-
denly and dramatically, or catas-
trophe which is silent and slowly pro-
greSSive.
In the World War this was demon
strated by the battle new5-the tragedy
of millions of men fighting in death
grip, with cannons and rifles and ma
chine guns, on the one hand, and the
deadly, but silent, influenza epidemic,
which ravaged the homes OF America
and caused thousands of fatalities, al
most equaling the AMERICAN losses in
battle. The folks at home knew about
the battles, but they didn't worry the
boys at the front by telling much about
the fatalities and shocks of the cpl
demic 1t was so deadly silent!
x x X
There is a later instance of some
what similar nature, although, fortu-
nately, it has to do only with property
loss, while the lesser economic tragedy
combines loss of lives by the thousands,
as we'll as destruction of property by the
hundreds of millions of dollars. The
lesser came in sudden fury, which star
tied us Reference Is made to the
lesser tragedy" which in this case is
the hurricane with its appalling feroc-
ity; yet its destruction of property is
far less than that of the other menace.
The greater catastrophe has not
shocked the general public-not yet
although it menaces the country with a
loss mounting into not millions, but bill
lions of dollars, against which there has
not been found adequate defense, even
though science has already in less than
a decade spent millions of dollars seek
ing to avert the threatened tragedy.
The public has scarcely heard of the
seriousness of the danger.
y n
This greater menace" is a Euro
pean invasion. 1t began to threaten IN
1919, even as the veterans of the World
War were struggling home as fast as
Atlantic transportation enabled them to
return from the fields of battle.
Some alert defenders Of America ex-
claimed in due military form: "Atten-
ton! The European corn boreri" But
discipline had grown slack and few rose
to attention. Some yawned and grum-
bled, why worry?"-just as in the war.
1t was reported that the enemy had
already in 1919 captured 1000 square
miles of terrain about Boston-the very
region where the American Revolution
started. There were some Paul Reveres
who tried to arouse the Spirit OF rs"
and rally to vigorous defense, crying
the Lexington ultimatun, If war must
come, let it begin here and now!'
But the Department of Agriculture
opposed the proposal of half million
dollars for defense (''with not cent
for trjbute'). so Congress appropriated
only S25O.00O, July "a, 1919. Science
began a flank attack by bringing up a
detachment of parasites to sap the en-
envy and break its morale. That re-
suited in scattering the forces of the in
vaders, but they rallied in the early
Summer of 1920, on four fronts-along
the seaboard of Massachusetts, and New
Hampshire, in the east half of New
York, in the extreme west of New York.
in Ontario along the north shore of
Lake Erie In the latter region prac-
tically the entire corn crop was de-
stroyed; in some other infected regions
only IS per cent.
Since then. Congress has appropriate
ed from $4,000 to 100000 year to
carry on the fight against this deadly
European invasion, but always the VIC
tory has gone to the enemy.
Last year. growing desperate the APP
preparation was Sl0.000,000 from the
Federal Treasury. made conditional in
it's expenditure upon an equal amount
which the fight should be made.
Twenty million dollars given in one
year to science to fight worm. cat
erpillar, an insect which hides inside of
a corncob or cornstalk! And still the
invading army advances! Its irreSiSt-
IDLE march now defies the entire forces
Of science defending the corn crop of
America and Canada. whose estimated
value ranges between S2.500000. 900 and
$4,000 000,0 900 year. Unless some para
site be found which will prey success
fully and adequately upon the corn
borer. the American corn crop is
doomed. Yet the Department of Agri-
culture has not been able to discover
such parasite, with assurance that the
parasite will not bring along some other
parasite which will eat the first enemy
of the borer faster than that first para
site can consume the borer. Some of
our birds are feasting on the juicy
worms, but the supply outruns the bird
attack.
Corn Is the most important crop of
the American farm: its destruction
would bankrupt agriculture. 1t exceeds
cotton or wheat. The cotton boil wee
vii still torments the Southern farmer.
but it is of minor Importance compared
with this European corn borer.
y n X X
Congress awoke at last to the immi-
nent need of stringent efforts to erad-
icate the borer The ten-million-do dollar
appropriation was made in January,
1927. but then it was found that it was
too late to accomplish its main purpose
in inducing farmers to clean up their
cornfields and destroy all stalks and
Stubble, for many had already sowed
Winter wheat upon the Stubble, and
they refused to destroy the next wears
wheat in order to clear. up last years
fine colors. the book gives lovely per-
1,,,1, f:n-. IL e..