Evening star., 1947-07-06

generous and engaging aspect.
Water, "the life-blood of Greece"
is described as the natural resource
which more than any other could
bring wealth to the country and q
higher standard of living for mill
lions OF its people. AS they exist
today, the river courses are one OF
the kingdoms chief natural men,
aces. Greece is excessively noun
famous, and during the rainy VIM
ter months its streams roar downhiu
in ravening torrents.
Indicated are flood, silt and ero-
sion controls. drainage and irriga-
ton works, reforestation and hydro
electric plants. The FAC report
lists A possible projects, large and
small, from Thrace and Macedonia
to Crete, which could be made to
yield kilowatt-hours almost eouiva-
lent to the output of Boulder Dam.
The cost of the entire water pro-
gram is rated at about $63,O00,00
for the first five years and further
$375, 100000 for the next two or
three decades. 1t would add 5,215
square miles to the country's arabic
space, eliminate malaria breeding
marshes and swamps, provide en-
ployment and help balance the ma
tional economy by increasing agri-
cultural exports on the one hand
and on the other by decreasing i'm
ports of fuel.
Agricultural Plans
Next to water control, agriculture
ranks highest in'American plans to
build Greece into an object lesson
of humane foreign policy. The
problem there is one to fascinate an
expert husbandman. To him is Of
fered virtually clean slate on which
to write.
With so per cent of its people har-
messed to the soil, Greece has the
densest farm population in Europe
and at the same time the lowest
yield per acre. In both respects 1t
is on level with India. Even be-.
fore the war, the Greeks were chron-
ically underfed.
Modern equipment - such as
spike-tooth, disc and spring tooth
harrows, hand-operated wheel hoes
and two-row cultivators, to say
nothing Of tractors-are practically
unknown. In widespread use are
wooden plows and primitive brush
harrows coming down from the time
of Homer. Women's hands do much
Of the hard work of cultivation and
harvesting.
Yet the FAC does not hesitate to
assert that its program for Greece,
though starting below par, could
turn the kingdom into a pattern of
farming within generation and in
cidentally double or treble the ma
tional income.
In favor of the program Is the
genial Mediterranean climate, COM
bined with levels of temperature,
due to mountainous terrain, which
fall from the tropical heat essential
for bananas to semitropical condi-
tions suitable for citrous fruits and
olives, and finally to northern tenn
peratures adapted to the cultivation
Of wheat. The Hellenic peasants,
though bound by tradition, are de-
scribed as industrious, shrewd and
passionately desirous of improved
opportunities for their children.
Other Steps Proposed
AS BELTS its title, the FAC de-
votes major part of its report to
agriculture and livestock. Having
reiterated that food and silt control,
drainage and irrigation are funda-
mental requirements, the plan sug-
gests as the next step scientific
analyses of the various soils to de-
termine what minerals and fertil-
izers are needed to restore them to
youth, and the particular crops to
which they are best adapted.
As a drastic measure, it is pro-
posed that the farm population
should be reduced to 40 per cent
instead of go, and that industries
and services be developed to absorb
the exiles from the land, who would
become such by their own voluntary
choice. Farm mechanization Is rec
commended, through the introduction
of tractors and of communal ap-
paratus such as harvesters and
threshers.
Before the war, Greece made q
heroic effort to become self
sufficient in wheat. The suggestion
is made that part of the wheat
acreage should be diverted to hybriG
corn bred in the United States.
Past concentration on wheat 10
criticized on the ground that Greece
had the lowest average yield of this
grain in Europe, and Is a country
best suited to the production OF
fruits and vegetables.
To equip the Greeks for eventual
administration of their farms, the
report recommends the establish.
ment or extension of agricultural >,
colleges, laboratories for soil analyst.
and bureaus for the study of plarx
and animal diseases.
Other steps proposed include crcr
rotation, soil conservation ane
limitation of overgrazing by sheet
and goats on hill and mounta.H
ranges, resulting in the destruction
of young forest growths, with con-
sequent elimination OF underground
waters and permanent springs. The
over Fall purposes are as follows: Re-
duction of farm population, enlarged