Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-01


India frefa-the air-by- billions of fo=--t -
Gusts from Iran, Iraq and parts of -
-Russia -
II was so important to India how -
ever that the natives promptly for
forgot about the World War to ~
mobilize against the insect luft-
waite which has scored victories
for thousands of years by drop
ping eggs, more deadly than -
bombs
The natives only effective
weapon against the locust is
sending up a barrage Of noise
Ancient Sanskrit writings recommended TO
thelr ancestors, much shouting in any effort
to turn the oncomtng cloud OF living death
The insects one weak spot is its ears and
efficient din sent up from the ground drives
the air squadrons into confused fight in cir
cIes, until they drop exhausted 10 the ground
where they can be trampled TO death by the
feet Of the defenders
There are nearly four hundred million pairs
Of feet IN India but, even II they could all be
concentrated on the battlenelds il would
hardly be enough
This Is because the female locust is a mod
ern dictators ideal Of motherhood Let us see
what one locust or rather one pair can
achieve IN the way Of productivity When
only l3 days old the spooning couple is able
10 produce up to eleven bags each con-
tanning an average of So eggs, that is, about
200 grubs waiting 10 hatch out.
~ Under favorable conditions these become
hoppers in about nine days so that in %
days from the first egg-laying there are about
$50 new females each ready 10 lay still an
other 300 eggs. This gives just under half
million locusts IN about three weeks. all
from just one pair Of parents
But when the invading swarm starts at
the modest strength of only few Million its
possibilities pass beyond calculations that have
meaning TO anyone but mathematician
Since the mother locust has not done her
fun maternal duty unless she lays two lots
OF eggs year 1t is not surprising TO learn
that the present visitation is SO dense in parts
of India that express trains have been
brought TO a standstin, partly because the To-
Gusts actually blocked the rails, like drifts of
SHOW, and partly because the air was so thick
with them that visibility was only about
three feet.
To add another point to the staggering
picture Of fecundity IT can be stated that
neither male female locust is in any way
hampered by ideas Of fidelity
helnG- no sentimental DELAYS the Har--
NAL cycle of life is usually speeded up when
ever favorable, such plenty of food and
1t is astonishing IN how many other ways
tins war OF man against insect is like modern
war OF man against man The locusts like
the Axis Powers, are "havc-not" nations whose
native country is the desert.
There they live the sCanty weeds and
other vegetation, getting along well enough
except when unusually wet seasons produce
extra but temporary food supplies on which
they promptly increase 10 many millions more
than the desert can normally support
Then comes the inevitable war between the
= haves' and the ''have-nots" If the locusts
would talk on the radio the insect marauders
could use the propaganda of Germany. Italy
and Japan, almost word for word in excusing
their destruction of countries which are able
to support their own populations
/ The French know from past experience
mat they are the inevitable victims of the
German outbreaks which seem to be setting
themselves in cycles Of about generation.
They saw this last one coming yet did nothing
to stop il at its source.