Detroit evening times., 1945-08-13

peace, shoWs the dire state INTO "
Which the Island Kingdom has
fallen economically.
A LII this week in northern
- Japan farm folks are gath.
ering for festivals 10 invoke di-
vine help from the emperor and
MS ancestors for a good fall
crop.
On the basis of intercepted re-
ports from Japan l believe that
1945 will bring A record low for
crops due TO heavy rains, lack OF
transportation and the shortage
of labor. The food outlook IS
admitted by the Japanese TO
mot permit of optimism
Poverty-Stricken peas SAINTS.
hard-preSsed on their two and
three-acre hillside plots, are on
the receiving end of daily psy-
Geological radio blast TO increase
farm production.
Their last resort is TO come
out of the hills and stage pic
turesque balancing and juggling
acts. pray AT Shlnto shrlnes in
Aklta, a town the size OF Chat
tanoOga. Tenn. and await the
emperor's blessing. Then men
take long bamboo poles on
which are suspended AS many as
40 10 30 giant lanterns. These
are juggled on foreheads, hips.
wrists and ankles amidst shouts
and cheers in the atmosphere OF
a country fair midway.
AT THE end of the week the
~ farmers return 10 uliing
their moisture-Soaked soil
Farmers IN Japan haven't had
sufficient fertilizer in years. This +,
year is worse. Sulphate OF am
monla. lime, calcium and pot
ash formerly were supplied un-
der government subsidies.
Unless crops are harvested by
October, 10000, 900 people living
on an area the size OF Montana
must survive on starvation ra-
tions. think our air raids Will
prevent harvest work
The cumulative inSuiilciency
of farm produce for C1ty war
workers viii materially con-
tribute 70 the loss Of the war by
the Japanese. To my reckoning
OF 100000 homeless from ar
raids and 1900 900 casualties,
would add 10000 900 victims Of
mslnuirltIon. TuherculpSiS VIII
clam many Of them When We
occupy japanese cities, A MAJOR
problem Will be nutrItionai dis
eases Our medical corps VIII
be amazed ~ the need for yeast,
calcium and pro'einS for there
have been no dairy products,
eggs or meat IN three years.
HERE arc current japanese
III agricultural conditions. AZ
the height Of tho farm festival
season
Wheat of - per cent Only
two districts report n Orma =
crops Barley OF y per cont.
Rice seedlings have rottcd from
heavy rains
Food rationS are 4 oW n
another 10 per cent until Oc-
tOher. ...
The Tics issue IS out OF con-
troll. Local governing bodies
now ration allowances from
whatever they have m ware
houses. but many grananes
have been burned by thousands
OF FIRE bombs we've dropped
Tokyo has lost huge grain
warehouses. located along the
cltys many canals through re-
cent air attacks To equal me
drop Of 1000 900 bushels Of rice
burned in the warehouses, farm
arS are ordered 70 grow the
equivalent m buckWheat, car
roiS and turnlpS
Meat IS 30 scarce that Wild
hOarS caught in the Nagoya re-
gIon arc beng served 10 aircraft
factory workers Boar soup is
made from tho bones
Hokkaldo farms were SChcd-
ulcd 10 receive i5O 600 burned
ont CITY dwcllcrS Less than
~ 900 arrived Tho remainder
were Strande d IN northern
Japan when HalSeyS feet sank
the railroad ferries which were
to carry the workers.
Factories m p Dying 1000
workers and over m X 2 en-
ployes bolster the production of
brussels sprouts, long " hlte
radlshes, cahbages and beans IN
of duty hours
Dried fish heads and leaves
Of wlthered vegetables are be-
Ing used for soup substitutes.
Potato vines and mulberry
leaves are replacing cereals.
TNHE department Of agricul-
Il ture has promised a hall
million farm tools this month
for peasants who haven't seen
the village blacksmith since he
entered war plants four years
ago. Destitute farmers arc de-
manding sickleS, spades, picks
and hoes 10 carry out the gov
ernment'S waste land reclama-
ton program.
Wet weather has retarded tie
Irish potato goal Of % 100000
bushels. Authorities arc using