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,