Basic HTML Version
16
The
PLAIN TRUTH
}une
1971
vis ited Sofia, Bulgaria. And on March
2,
Vatican envoy Arch–
bishop Agostino Casaroli returned from a five-day official
visit to Moscow, the first of its kind in papal diplomacy. His
reception at the Kremlin was said to have been cordial. Arch–
bishop Casaroli had gone there to sigo the nuclear nonpro–
liferation treaty and also to carry out a diplomatic mission
concerning Roman Catholic minorities in the Soviet Union.
Why the increased activity between the Vatican and
Communist East Europe?
Both sides have much to gain. The Vatican is pushing
for more freedoms for Catholics behind the Iron Curtain and
is hopeful for increased dialogue with the Communist nations
generally on the issue of world peace and security.
In return, the Communists hope the Vatican will urge
clerics in Red countries, such as Poland, to cooperate more
with the entrenched political machinery. Moscow would also
like to see a public Vatican condemnation of American
involvement in Vietnam. Even more important, Moscow
would like the Vatican to endorse a pet Kremlin project–
a European Security Conference. Ultimate Red aim behind
such a European East-West get-together would be to reduce
or eliminate U. S. mi litacy presence on European soi l.
Nothing has beca made official yet, but one respected
dispatch from Vatican City reports tbat the Vatican has prom–
ised to carry out these important Soviet requests.
•
Historie Trip for Japanese Emperor
Emperor Hirohito will become the first Japanese
emperor to go abroad when he visits seven European
countries with Empress Nagako this auturnn.
Prernier Eisaku Sato's Cabinet has formally approved a
plan for the Japanese royal couple to make official visits to
Britain, Belgium and West Germany and unofficial trips to
Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland for 18
days beginning September 27.
Europe appears to have beco chosen for a number of
reasons. The Emperor visited Britain, France, Belgium, the
Netberlands, and Italy in 1921 when he was Crown Prince.
The journey made a lasting impression on him. He very
much wants to make a sentimental returo trip before he
grows much older. He will turn 70 on April 29. The Empress
has never beco abroad.
Speaking of his comiog tour, the Emperor has told offi–
cials: "Never miad what my owo tastes are. The Jirst cssential
is that this visit promote international goodwill." On another
occasion he said, "1 shall do my best to obtain a harvest of
international friendship."
The Emperor's wish also fits in with Prime Minister
Eisaku Sato's growing desire to enhance Japan's ioternational
status, now that its phenomenal economy is exerting more
and more iofluence - and attracting more and more attentioo
- around the world.
En route to Europe, the Emperor's plane will touch
down at Anchorage, Alaska. But he will not officially visit
the United States on this trip.
U. S. officials believe the way is paved for a visit in the
near future. But it could not take place before late 1972, after
Okinawa is returned to Japanese rule.
•
Seeds of Disaster?
Could vast portions of the world's food supply be wiped
out - virtually overnight? Sorne scientists are beginning to
ponder this frightening question.
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has named
ao elite panel of agriculturalists and biologists to examine the
genetic vulnerability to disease of major U. S. food and feed
crops, principally corn, wheat, rice aod sorghum.
The questioo now before the new panel is whether wide
use of hybrid strains of seed coro may not be producing a
genetic uniformity that could subject ao catire U. S. corn crop
to unexpected destruction via a single new pathogen.
Behind the study is the new strain of Southero leaf
blight that is devastating American corn production. Last year
it destroyed 10 percent of the S5 billion U. S. corn harvest –
the nation's largest and most valuable crop. Agricultura!
experts are warning that if warm, humid weather again pre–
vails in the corn states, blight cou ld reduce the 1971
h~rvest
by as much as 50 percent.
The development of new high-yield varieties has Ied
to widespread planting of only a few varieties of any single
crop, and often in concentrated arcas. Under these conditions
a disease strain can quickly spread, destroying a major portion
of the crop.
If
aoother mutant corn disease appears
in
the next few
years - one capable of attackiog hybrids resistant to thc
present strain - American corn productioo could be threat–
ened again. Reports a recent issue of
Science
magazine:
"When a new crop is introduced, diseases to which it is
resistant are suppressed - those to which it is susceptible
will thrive and multiply."
It
is becoming a hectic race just to stay ahead of the
mutating disease organisms. Continues
Science:
"...
we have
observed many times the 'running out' of varieties, often
abruptly, as a new biotype of a pathogen or insect pest
became prevalent."
The NAS study is also consideriog the rather ugly possi–
bility that if seed-corn resistance to blight is weakened by
altering its gene composition, similar problems might occur in
other food graios - sorghum, wheat, rice. Very Jittle detailed
study of the genetic base of crops has ever been done. But
according to the NAS Research Council:
"lt
is likely that
a number of major (hybrid) crops rest on a daogerously nar–
row genetic base."
A few hybrids and crossbred varieties now domínate
much of North American agriculture aod are rapidly
being adopted in Asia. As a result, genetic uniformity is
being produced which could allow new diseases to destroy an
catire crop in
sever(li cotmtries at once.
The present corn
b!ight is only a warning of how quickly much of the world's
food crops could be decimated in one growing season -
leading to widespread food shortages and famine.
Meanwhile, users of open-pollinated strains are not
devastated by this blight, but continue to make good crops.