The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-05-08
BY 6AUKHAGE

Out in Falls Church. Virginia.
little way from Washington. there
lives a friend OF mine who was
brought up on farm. Last year.
some new neighbors moved In next
door - city folks, you could tell by
looking at them. but full Of pep and
vinegar and very patriotic. They
started out to make a victory gar
den.
My friend could tell by the way
they handled their hoes that before
long. they'd be asking him for ad-
vice.
He's a good neighbor, but he isn't
nosey. So he just waited.
Well, 1t wasn't long before the
man next door came up, leaned
over the fence. and said: How is
it your garden is coming along so
good and mine ANTI"
My friend smiled, and then he
pitched in and told him some OF the
facts Of plant life.
II isn't going to benefit my friend
even if his neighbours garden is a
record breaker but he's a typical
American and he's doing what we
all used TO do back in the old days
when neighbor depended on neigh
Dor - giving helping hand when It
is needed.
Last week. sat down across the
desk from a big. black-haired fell
low. who looks lot younger than
he is in years and wisdom. His name
is DR.. Ralph W. Phillips.
When I talked with him, he had
Just returned from giving a little
neighborly advice over the back
fence to our Chinese neighbors. He's
in charge Of genetics investigations
for the Department OF Agriculture
and he was loaned to the State de-
partment, along with some 81 other
experts, TO 60 over to China Cat the
invitation of the Chinese) to look
around and see what ought to be
done to improve their stock.
For you and me and most Ameri-
cans. even those who don't know
any more about farm than TO think
shorts" are just underwear, a COW
that doesn't give milk wouldn't be
much Of a critter. But believe it or
not. one Of the results which Il 10
hoped DR.. Phillips trip Will achieve
is to explain to the Chinese why
cows have udders.
First-Hdnd Facts
The Chinese know many things
which we don't know, but Phillips
has put between the covers OF a
book now being printed in China. a
lot Of things that the Chinese never
knew before. He got his facts first
hand, travelling over most OF the I'M
occupied parts of China with the
Chinese Minister Of Agriculture and
good interpreter. and collated
them against his own expert knowl-
edge OF animal husbandry. But as
he said to me, il you know anything
about a COW, a sheep or a horse,
you don't need an interpreter to tell
you what's the matter with It.
1t was a hot day In Washington
when l interviewed DR.. Phillips and
he had his coat and vest off.
I'm shirtsleeve diplomat" he
said TO me.
When / learned a little more OF
the details OF his particular Job,
realized that it was one in which
you had TO take off your coat and
roll up your sleeves. Among other
things, he rode several hundred
miles over what the Chinese laugh
ingly call roads, in ancient auto
mobiles, and good many miles on
the back OF very tough Monaghan
pony.
This friendly. easy-going shirt.
sleeve scientist typifes a new order
- he is part Of new. honest effort
Gas one member OF the State depart
ment said to mel ito establish
relationship Of people to people"
rather than a relationship of diplo-
mat TO diplomat, or government TO
government.
DR.. Phillips witnessed the effects
OF the great migration OF the
Chinese government followed by its
universities, its people, its indus
tries. This great movement, en-
forced by the japanese occupation,
opened up vast territory In western
and northwestern China about which
very little was known and with
which the rulers OF China heretofore
have been very little concerned. For
the sake of this discussion, China
can be roughly divided into two
quite different agricultural domains.
IN the crowded eastern provinces,