Pacific Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 17, 1948, Tokyo, T�ky�                                I can put Vou Theta a \ this is so men to work real supper Rak til the crop / funny / now what in / joke Coulp have canvon/wn0& hate or hollers save the noise x Well stay fancy Wisny heat for full and equal to be impre$$epj/privile6es with you and the top pay  Coulp it a that you ran All your Occidental staff away because you re so crazy jealous of fancy and now the natives Are closing in on you ? but accept i you re 60in6 to be with us for a while brother Canyon. I Pon t know How you Learned that Rak Filep the to 3is because he Hap been path to see that the crop they were tenpin on this Plantation Pip not 5et Export to America / the m06is Are smart enough to know that the Only Way for their. Country to re6ain its pre War. Status is to resume its Export business. I wish you really were staying to v. Protect me / yep fancy we Coulsn t leave you Here with the to 5i tribe of native sex employees lurking out there in the jun6le1 i Pon t see How you boys f a sure All that stuff out and Pecirep to stay and to something about it. This Way the unit a states does fiet a crop it needs and the local country Poesy 6et dollars it land Reform so the new farm Village Confer ence a travelling information Cen Ter Vas organized to bring japanese Extension officials and Rural populations together and to help carry out the educational and informational programs necessary if democratic practices were to become part of the people. Its initial projects were to stimulate simultaneously the forma Ilion of democratic Active farm co operatives and the 10% food production increase program. Subjects to be presented , die rated by the needs of a Given local Ity were farm cooperative organizations and activities insect damage control use of disinfectant chemicals and fertilizer prevention of crop Dis ease improved farm methods land Reform and reclamation. Such materials it was decided would be presented in an interest ing informative democratically run meeting. The kind that farm co operatives should hold frequently and regularly. So the trucks were set up with projectors with 16 my educational film including one on world food problems and one on Power and land with slides on land reclamation with signboards on Black potato rot with the necessary equip ment and food for the projected trip. Also planned was a Kam Shibai Simi Lar to our punch and Judy shows on farm cooperatives and an extemporaneous cartoon show dealing with current information programs. In the towns of Loki Coli and Yasuda Cho for example the prob Lem of Rice Fields damaged by the Ineich Paddy Boring Moth was of Paramount importance. Better control of Meichu would of itself re sult in the bad y needed 10% Rice increase my officials believed. When the Village area was inspected in the Early afternoon before the general meeting Rice Fields infested with Meichu were marked plainly. The Blue fluorescent lamp Oil basins were inspected to see that Oil had been changed. Inspections also Veri fied whether or not areas surround ing the Oil basins had been sprayed with Dot so that any Moths failing outside the Basin might be killed. Plans for the evening embodied explanation of the necessity for closely shredding Rice straws so that Dor Mant Meichu might be exterminated before the next crops were planted such problems As irrigation and land development were also possible subjects which might be pertinent in a Community s evening discussion. The big general meetings in Kochi villages Are rather thrilling affairs perhaps because the entire Community is massed into the town Hall. Perhaps because of the eagerness the keen interest which characterizes the meetings. Or. Scott s ability to speak and understand japanese is an added advantage. The meetings which this writer attended lasted close to three and one half hours. Particularly stressed was the fact that initiative must come from the communities themselves. That As individuals they had a right and an obligation to share in the projects and the responsibilities necessary to agrarian improvement. After the educational film the meetings were thrown open to Dis Cussion with the agricultural Exten Sion expert and the Ken officials coming in for their share of explanation. Many problems were met on the spot. Many became future Community projects. Some devolved on the shoulders of Ken officials. This give and take this shouldering of responsibility in a democratic fashion proved a highlight of the eve thing. Said the Kochi Shimun in an editorial this kind of project is rare in this country. What had seemed important to the prefectural officials was not important at farm villages and what the officials thought trifle was not trifle to the Farmer. This unexpected fact was found out at the series of this conference. The conference of this kind should be held often As possible to Tell the prefecture s policies to the Farmers and to hear the desires. Of each locality. This is the Way of Public  following the general meeting the Ken officials and experts evaluated the Community problems their own responsibilities and formulated plans for future projects to be developed by the initiative of the Community. Japanese editors and radio men promised full cooperation in helping to disseminate information. Eighth army military government teams in Day by Day work Are Aid ing an Ever widening Circle of Japa Nese to become aware of their rights and responsibilities and to better their farming communities and Homes. Such a program is important not alone for the future of Japan s Basic Economy it is the very heart of democracy. Stars & stripes tags 13 i