MISSOURI RESEARCHERS TAKE ON GLOBAL CONCERNS

Research institutions in the United States, including those located on uni~versity cam~puses, face a number of provocative questions. Among them is this fundamental concern: How do we feed citizens of the world in years to come? While not possessing all the answers, the University of Missouri's agricultural researchers are showing themselves to be on the cutting edge of these discoveries. Roger Mitchell, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the Columbia campus, was in Cape Girardeau last week to brief area agri-business persons about progress being made. With an annual research budget of $28 million ($15 million of which comes from federal sources or grants), the agriculture college scientists synthesize proteins, alter the genetics of plants, identify disease-resistant types of crops and try to unlock mysteries that will provide more food for the world. Missouri is in the thick of discovering ways to resolve global problems. We applaud these research efforts.

The Mayor's Prayer Breakfast continues to build on its stature as one of the premier annual events in Cape Girardeau. The fifth such breakfast was held Friday at the Show Me Center and attracted more than 800 people. The message remains inspiring: put aside the petty disputes and differences of daily life and allow time for something really important. The organizers of this event, including the sponsoring Christian Business Men's Committee of Cape Girardeau, deserve credit for bringing off this event and helping remind people of the priorities that matter.

Our inclination is to dismiss the panic touched off in some quarters last week by the computer virus Michelangelo. While nothing much seemed to come of the electronic bug, which threatened to systemically erase the memories of computer programs it attached itself to, the virus represents a malicious undertaking on the part of some electronic wizard. Unlike those viruses that attack our bodies through the natural course of things, these bugs are 100 percent man-made and have the potential to destroy crucial records, disrupt businesses and generally set back the productivity computers are intended to foster. It is perhaps reflective of the dark side of human nature that a machine would be directed to destroy its own good work. What a sad commentary.

"Babes in Arms" played to good crowds over the weekend at the Con~cord Theatre, an offering of the Broadway Community Theater. It was a delightful production aimed at family consumption and should certainly encourage those wanting to re-establish community theater as a viable enterprise in Cape Girardeau. Thanks for the hard work, and we hope your efforts continue.