A RYEDALE woman has posted a bag of rice to Prime Minister Tony Blair - to register her concern over a possible war on Iraq.

June Emerson, of Ampleforth, explained that there is a national campaign aimed at flooding Downing Street with bags of rice.

It is not clear who started the campaign, but the supporters are urged to place a half cup of uncooked rice in a small plastic bag.

They are then asked to wrap it in a piece of paper on which has been written: 'If your enemies are hungry, feed them. Romans 12:20. Please send this rice to the people of Iraq; do not attack them.'

The paper and bag of rice are then placed in a jiffy bag and sent to PM Tony Blair, 10 Downing Street, London SW1, with £1.06 attached for postage.

According to the e-mailed message received by June Emerson, in the 1950s, Fellowship of Reconciliation began a similar protest, which is credited with influencing President Eisenhower against attacking China.

The pacifist group, learning of famine in the Chinese mainland, launched a 'Feed Thine Enemy' campaign. Members and friends mailed thousands of little bags of rice to the White House with a tag quoting the Bible: 'If thine enemy hunger, feed him.'

According to the e-mailed message, the activists a decade later learned that President Eisenhower met with the joint chiefs of staff to consider US options in the conflict with China over two islands, Quemoy and Matsu.

The generals twice recommended the use of nuclear weapons. President Eisenhower each time turned to his aide and asked how many little bags of rice had come in.

When told they numbered in

the tens of thousands, Eisenhower told the generals that as long as so many Americans were expressing active interest in having the US feed the Chinese, he certainly was not going to consider using nuclear weapons against them.

Updated: 10:09 Wednesday, February 12, 2003