1 Farming' Saturday, Dec, if, 1976 EDITORIAL COMMENTS Could ag exports bring harvest of liberty? In this give and take world of ours, the United States has a noble record of sharing its wealth with those who are less fortunate This is true for the nation as a whole, and for individual Americans It’s something we can be proud of and thankful for On the other hand, agricultural export policies have from time to time been handled in such a way that they’re far from fair It's a situation which will hopefully be corrected. America has been overly generous with some countries - specifically the Soviet Union - in allowing them to purchase gram at bargain prices and very liberal credit terms. Most every individual American has debts to pay, so does our government. It makes sense to have sound financial agreements which insure that payments will be forthcoming. Considering that the USSR has ripped Uncle Sam off for $263 billion during the last 60 years, our con tracts with the Soviet’s haven’t been too reliable. It's time to insist on some hard cash. Granted, debts can’t hardly be done away with completely. But there is a difference between making an effort to pay and simply making a token payment or gesture now and then, or even ignoring them. Although the Soviet Union is not by any means America's largest gram customer, they have received liberal enough terms which would lead one to believe this were true. Japan and West Germany, among others, have been large, steady, and reliable customers who pay That’s one reason we see so many Japanese and German products in this country They’re paying for our gram and soybeans m terms of cars, cameras, radios and precision instruments Russia doesn’t have much to offer to the United States. Their technology is behind ours (m spite of the liberal assistance we have given them for decades) and their products aren’t much of a match for what we have of our own What the Soviet Union does have - energy reserves - we aren’t likely to get Trade agreements have been made to this effect, but if the past is any indication of the future, precious little of the energy will come to the U S after American technology has the stuff flowing smoothly Ironically, the Soviet Union has the potential to produce enough gram to meet its own needs In fact, there are reports coming out of the Kremlin that they are doing just that And, as was noted m last week’s commentary, m 1974 the Soviets exported nearly an identical amount of gram as what they imported from the US This should indicate that they didn’t need our stuff in the first place Bui they scooped up our commodities anyway in order to make a quick buck by turning around and selling it for BY DIETER KRIEG, EDITOR considerably higher prices. The whole incident turned out to be highly embanassmg to the U S government and the American public, and spelled - per cent of the land in the Soviet Union produces more than a quarter of total agricultural output That three per cent land area is not some super soil It’s composed of small private garden plots - the only out d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r for a sizable segment of-the farm population It’s a known faqt that about three privately owned land allowed under the communist system. That speaks well for what can be done in a free enterprise system where there is some incentive to produce and motivation to plan wisely. State owned and operated lands are in efficiently Operated Sadly, this is true of communist-run systems in other countries. It would not be realistic to even think for a moment that the U.S. can do without foreign agricultural trade. But it isn’t unrealistic to establish a policy by which an enemy nation can no longer get the bargains while friendly allies are left to wonder why.- Furthermore, some sort of payments should be insisted upon. And if the credit is bad - as it is with the Soviet Union - then it should be strictly cash deals. There should also be an un derstanding that purchase orders can’t be placed without taking other contracts into consideration. In other words, don’t sell the goods today for $3 and then find out three days later that demand would have developed strong enough to get $3.50 One of my pet ideas is that any trade with communists should yield freedom and liberty for the people that wicked system enslaves One must remember that communism isn't a paradise for all, as advocates of the system would like to have us believe Only about six per cent of the population belongs to the Communist Party, and they join only by selection and invitation These party members are the ones who live high on the hog, while the general population is left out of the picture It’s not likely to happen that people behind the Iron Curtain and elsewhere would be freed due to Americans making trade deals which include such a bargain The Helsinki Agreements were to have allowed Eastern Europeans more freedoms Predictably, Uncle Sam was taken advantage of; and he’s likely to continue to draw the shorter ends of Kremlin deals for as long as he speaks softly and carries no stick It's time to insist on a better deal - cash if that’s all we can get - but better yet, freedom for peoples in communist nations as well I wouldn’t want to be the farmer who supplies the communist border guard with gram for bread in his belly, and then learn of him shooting a man in the back for wanting to seek a new life in the West If they want our gram let 'em stop shooting first MAGNIFICAT! Lesson for December 12,1976 Background Scripture 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Luke 1:39-79 - Devotional REading: Luke 1:68-79. Four miles outside the city of Jerusalem (urban sprawl keeps it from seeming that far) is the little Judean hill town of Em Karem. From the ultramodern Hadassah Medical Center one can view the ancient town and its monuments to John the Baptist. For here according to tradition John the Baptist was born (marked by a Franciscan church and monastery). Another Franciscan monastery stands beside the hill cave where it is believed John lived the last years of his life. Most important for the Christian pilgrim, however, is the lovely Franciscan Church of the Visitation, commemorating the ecstatic encounter between John’s Elizabeth, and her younger cousin, Mary, from Nazareth. Whether or not the traditioh is correct in identifying Ein Karem as the “hill country - city of Judah” in Luke 1, the pilgrim can hardly escape catching there a spiritual glimpse of that great occasion which we commemorate again each Advent season. Filled with the spirit Mary’s quiet, uneventful life had been jolted by her own experience of God’s messenger lyho came to her in Nazareth and told her that she was to become the mother of the Messiah. In formed that her cousin Elizabeth was also to bear a child of religious significance by the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary rushed to visit with her. She needed to talk to someone who might understand. Who in Nazareth would believe her or know how to help her? Entering the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth, she greeted her cousin in the customary way. But Elizabeth’s response was anything but customary. Without understanding what was happening within her, Elizabeth felt her unborn son move viborously in her womb. This was no mere kicking movement ex perienced by many pregnant mothers - to-be, but something much more than that! A wave of pure joy seemed to engulf her and I LETTERS TO THE EDITOR I Dear Editor In your recent senes on weather control (a portion of the Weather Report) a serious misrepresentation must be corrected. Mr. Blackadar of Penn State said that the cloud seeding law of Pennsylvania did not allow weather modification to be conducted within the state. This is not true. Because the law in Pennsylvania allows cloud seeding for the purpose of ram making. It also requires publication of in tentions in the news media and a complete report on results. Unfortunately for Penn sylvania farmers, Penn State never did any ram making in their cloud seeding because they were after negative results. TO PREPARE FARM SHOW EXHIBITS The 1977 Pennsylvania State Farm Show is only a month away; the deadline for some entries, such as livestock, has already passed; however, there is still time to enter many other items. We urge those in terested in being an exhibitor to secure a premium list and follow instructions carefully. Also, entry blanks will be needed for most items that are to be entered in the next month. All animals to be exhibited must be treated for various infections, and your local veterinarian can be of assistance for these regulations. Farm Show provides an opportunity for producers and homemakers to display their products. We urge continued participation and considerable effort in preparing a quality exhibit. TO DO ESTATE PLANNING Increasing land values, higher salaries, and higher without thinking of what she was saying, she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (1:42). Elizabeth heard her own words'with amazement and went on to explain to her cousin what had prompted this ecstatic outburst. My spirit rejoices! But something was hajp pening in Mary too. Caught up in a spiritual excitement few have ever known, she exclaims, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (1:46,47). The words come from her own mouth but their source seemed to be “Something Other.” In her ecstatic song, Mary expresses her awe, her thanksgiving for what God is domg in her, and prophecys of the mighty works he will yet accomplish m the days ahead. (This “song” is known as the Magnificat, after the Latin word which we translate into English as “magnifies”). Mary “magnified” the Lord. Caught up in awe, wonder, and thanksgiving, her heart overflowed with praise and joy. In the winter light of this Advent season let us ex perience our Magnificat! The law in Pennsylvania was passed to allow rain making because Charles Hosier (head of the meteorology dept, at Penn State) in the past attempted to assure the farming public that cloud seeding always increased rainfall. Yet he and Blackadar hollered foul ball and have attempted to make the public believe that cloud-seeding is illegal. This whole cloud-seeding outfit is a professional mob of syndicated gangsters. NOW IS THE TIME Max Smith County Agr. Agent Telephone 394-6851 insurance coverage are some of the factors con tributing to larger estates at this time. The larger the estate, the higher the' inheritance gift, and income tax obligations become; a sound family financial plan requires some estate planning. We suggest (a) a careful listing or inventory of everything that the family own and owes; (b) a plan for continuing financing of the family or business as long as the owners live; and, (c) a plan for the transfer of everything tht is owned when the owners die. Good estate planning is a vital part (Continued on Page 12] Farm Calendar Today, Dec. 11 Ore Valley 4-H Achievement Night, 7 p.m. at the Red Lion Grange. Sunday, Dec. 12 National Young Farmers Institute, today through Wednesday in Denver, Colo. Monday, Dec., 13 Lancaster County Farmers Association kick-off meeting at the Willow Valley Restaurant, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14 Garden Spot Young Farmers hold a crop-soil management meeting, with special emphasis on chisel plowing. Meeting begins at*7;3o p.m. at the high school. Some equipment will be on display. Three speakers. GSYFA officers meeting precedes this meeting at 7 p.m sharp. Conference on 'Milk Marketing, today and tomorrow, Washington, D.C. York County Dairy Princess Promotion Committee meets at 7:30 p.m. at the Production Credit Bldg., 3301 West Market Street, York. Wednesday, Dec. 16 Red Lion Young Farmers hold meeting on Farm Business Analysis and/ Records. At the high school, 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16 GSYF to tour father-son partnerships. Leave Garden Spot High School parking lot at 12:30 p.m., return 4‘p.m. own Paul G. Hoke St. Thomas, Pa. • •• Sincerely,
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