The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-17

Ratee 8dnom found O conflict
Of ideas between the Department Of
State and the Department Of Agri.
culture on what 10 do about South
America,
On tho one hand there was the
State Department wanting TO be
pals with Latin America and build
up the Good Neighbor policy enun.
clated by President Roosevelt short.
~ after he took office, On the other
hand, there was In Mr.. Wallace's
own Department Of Agriculture q
conviction which merely reflected
the prevailing opinion Of U. 8.
farmers and livestock men In gen.
eral and farm.f farmers and livestock
men In general and farm state con.
gressmen in particular, that Latin
America was q potentially danger
Gus commercial rival which should
be held In check.
Once let South American ooun.
tries get started raising the four
basic U. s. farm products wheat,
cotton, corn and livestock - let
them once develop world markets
and North American agriculture
would DO finished because Of
cheaper land values and cheaper Ia.
Dor.
COMPLEMENTARY
AGRICULTURE"
Out Of this impasse developed the
idea of complementary agricul-
lures" The basis Of the theory was
that since only four Latin Amer.
lean countries were In the temper
ate zone and 10 were tropical or
semitropical and largely unde-
veloped, 1t would be possible for
South and Central America to de-
velop agricultural products which
would not only compete with North
American products but would also
find q ready market In North
America and the rest Of the world
aS well.
Furthermore, the four temperate
zone countries Of South America
might develop products Of those re-
gions for trade with the tropical
countries to their mutual benefit.
The agricultures Of the various re-
gions thus complemented each other
without competing. Everybody had
something to gain and nobody had
anything to lose, for the more OF
these non.competltive products that
Latin America could export, the
greater their purchasing power for
U. s. manufactured goods.
In 10 years since the idea Of COM
Elementary agricultures was first
thought up, only Q bare start has
been made towards carrying 1t into
effect. War fastened the Develop
ment considerably because Il has
created greater demands for raw
materials and because other pre-.
war sources Of supply like Japan,
China and the Netherlands East
indies have been cut of.
SOUTH AMERICAS CROPS
What are some Of these compile
mentary products which the United
States can encourage Latin Amer.
lean countries to grow?
Rubber Is the obvious one, and
one In which there Is perhaps the
greatest development today, all over
the Amazon valley.
Like rubber, quinine from the
bark OF the cinchona tree Is another
native Of South America which Is
now being cultivated In Guatemala
and Bolivia.
Cocoa is a third native crop which
has had extensive development In
the old world but can be greatly In.
creased In the western hemisphere.
Tea. an old world native. can be
grown in Latin America. Further
growth OF tea and cocoa industries
might also reduce South Americas
coffee surplus.
Tapioca, from the root Of the
cassava plant. Is still fourth ma
tive American agricultural product
which can be developed commercial
ly in Latin America.
Kapok, or tree cotton and manila
hemp or abaca, as well as sisal and
henequen, are fiber crops which the
United States needs In quantity and
which South and Central America
can supply.
Rotenone roots provide the most
important sources Of insecticides.
South American hardwoods are es-
sential to the American furniture
industry. Various nut trees provide
source Of fats and essential oils
for paints and perfumes. Bananas
and spices to 60 into almost every
North American household.
Plans for building trade In the
western hehimsphere by increasing
cultivation Of products such as
these, worked out In detail during
the last 10 years, may bring import
ant results In the next 10. Vice
President Wallace says all this has
been a matter Of close to his heart.
When he gets to South America he
will see 1t first hand. And IN at
tending the Inauguration Of the new
ter-American Institute Of Agricul-
tural Sciences at Ttirrialba, Costa
RIGA, he win see fulflllment Of an
idea he proposed In 1870 Is q flrst
step towards carrying out the
theory of developing Complementary
"a d. H.