Marine animals as a source of fat.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS 1948 edible purposes; similarly, there are the black tallows and greases used extensively for soap production. It has also been suggested recently that it would be more,economic to manufacture soapless detergents from petroleum than to embark on very expensive schemes for the clearing of territory for the production of oil-bearing crops, such as the East African Ground-nut Scheme. It is not for me to discuss the economic merits of these alternative projects. I do, however, wish to emphasize, particularly before a society concerned with nutrition, that there is also a great world shortage of protein, and that in growing the ground-nut or similar oil-bearing seeds a great increase in protein production can also be achieved. I should not like to predict the future of the oil-bearing seed. It has been suggested, however, that, whereas up to now the seed has been grown for its oil content and the protein residue has been used for animal feeding-stuffs, the time may come when the protein content may be considered just as iniportant as its oil content. There is, however, a wider consideration to bear in mind. The standard of living af the peoples inhabiting tropical areas is extremely low, and it is obvious that any improvement in this standard can come only from the development of the territories in which they live. These developments must be agricultural, and can be effective only if broadly conceived. It is our duty to make use of the potentially vast productivity of these tropical areas to improve both the standard of living of their inhabitants and also that of the world beyond them.