Laurel outlook., 1947-04-30
Hunger Grip on
World Is Easing
Many Scientists Think Full
Diet for All Is Possible
With Cooperation.

mat munger
should be banished from the earth
is the opinion of many scientists.
Secretary of Agriculture Ander-
o supports this view. The scien-
lists, who admit that the job is a
big one, base their studied opinion
on present-day knowledge, not at
crystal-gazing into a superatomic
age.
G.. F. Kettering, research vice
president of General Motors and
former president of the American
Association for the Advancement OF
Science, recently estimated more
than o~ne-fourth of the worlds two
billion people normally are hungry.
At the Hot Springs, Va, United
Nations Food and Agriculture con-
ference in 1943 it was estimated one
billion r undernourished.
Plans to increase the worlds food
output to give everyone a full diet
have stirred controversy for years.
Some scientists claim there are so
many people in the world that soils
will be depleted if the diets of all
are increased to American stand
ards.
Anderson For 1t.
But Secretary Anderson said in an
interview:
Undoubtedly agricultural and
nutritional science now make it pos
sible to Danish hunger from the
earth.
eff our knowledge is applied, the
job can be done without depicting
soils. Of course it will take time to
do it, and it will take close interna-
tional cooperation, but it will elimi-
nate an old, old struggle.
"This means men will have to
work together, in all nations, and
an era of world scientific
agriculture for the present system
of national and individual scientific
agriculture"
Kettering and other experts say
enough food can be raised but be-
cause of world politics and econom-
les it can't be distributed interna-
tionally.
Those who contend the job al be
done don't agree on a timetable.
DR.. Robert M. Salter, chief of the
bureau of plant industry, soils and
agricultural engineering of the de-
.artment of agriculture, is n who
says the goal could be achieved
with international cooperation.
He points out first that the world
food survey of the Food and Agri-
culture organization (FAO) of the
United Nations estimates if all the
people of the world have enough to
eat by 1860 it means increasing pro-
iuction of cereals 81 per cent, roots
and tubers 81 per cent, sugar IL
per cent, fats and oils "a per cent,
and nuts 80 per cent, fruit
and vegetables 163 per cent, meat
Is per cent and milk 100 per cent.
(These estimates are based on
he assumption world population
will increase rs per cent by 1862
Two Methods.
DR.. Salter says production can be
increased to these levels in two
Ways. First, the improved methods
hat the United States used to boost
production during the war could be
to the world land nov in
production. Second, the amount of
and under cultivation could be in
.reased.
He estimates 900 million acres
ould be added in South America
nd Africa; 100 million acres in SUI
Borneo, New Guinea and
Madagascar; 300 million acres in
'oviet Russia, Canada and the
States. Total: 1.3 billion
cres of "new" soils.
DR.. H. H. Bennett, chief of the
oil conservation service of the agri-
ulture department, says the task
5 to educate farmers into using the
atest, scientific methods. This in
Olives such problems as making
laces like China substitute modern
Methods for OK yoke and light-of- J
farming. !
Interpreting corn research in dol ]
ars and cents, DR.. w. V. Lambert,
administrator of agricultural re-
earch, says in 80 years it cost the
overnment and the states 10 mil
on dollars to develop hybrid corn
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