U.S. CAN BOOST FREEDOM WHILE FEEDING SOVIETS

The rise of democratic principles in the Soviet Union has captivated Americans. Link it to our philosophical character: our nation's love of freedom and desire that people everywhere enjoy the fruits of liberty. From a practical standpoint, there are many avenues by which the United States can encourage these moves toward Soviet democracy, including ways in which American too can benefit. We urge U.S. officials to move quickly in response to world events, taking actions that bolster our belief in freedom while also taking advantage of new market opportunities.

Boil the issue down to its lowest level and you find these inarguable points:

1. American farmers have few global peers in producing food.

2. The Soviet Union, in economic turmoil even before the recent upheaval, faces the prospect of a grim harvest and barren grocery shelves.

3. Relatively warm U.S.-Soviet relations and the crumbling Eastern bloc of nations have left America in a good position to negotiate. If Soviet officials (Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, or whomever) are looking for a helping hand with sufficient resources, worldwide clout and good intentions, the United States is probably their ticket.

And while so much is at stake ideologically, this salient point should not be overlooked: they need food and we can provide it.

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson has not let the matter pass unnoticed. The Cape Girardeau representative has asked Secretary of Agriculture Edward Madigan to make available to the Soviets export credits and commercial loan guarantees on an accelerated schedule. (Credit guarantees of $1.5 billion are already in place.) This is not foreign aid, Emerson emphasizes. It is trade. And the 290 million people of the Soviet Union, in need of agricultural commodities, should make for a rewarding market if the United States acts in a dependable and expeditious manner.

The unfolding story in the Soviet Union is one of grand and global significance. Yet, in many ways, it reaches into the heartland of this nation, into our own backyards, into our own pocketbooks. We have a high level of confidence in American agriculture's ability to feed the world. We would like to see barriers preventing such a circumstance broken down. Let's feed the Soviet citizens. Let our example demonstrate for them the prosperity to be found in a democratic nation.