OCR Text |
Show FOOD EXPORTS. The report that France was buying foodstuffs in other countries in preference prefer-ence to the United States is denied by the minister of revietualiug, who declares de-clares that his country is purchasing 'everything possible over here, but has been compelled" to go to Canada and 1 Argentina for supplies not available in j America. He adds that neutral countries, coun-tries, particularly Sweden, are buying large quantities of food in Argentina. A few weeks ago Great Britain borrowed bor-rowed $200,000,000 in the South American Ameri-can republic to be used in the purchase j of foodstuffs, wheat in particular. The British have also been able to obtain wheat in Australia. France, Italy and the neutral countries, therefore, must come to the United States for a large share of the grain they use. It is also probable that Great Britain will import more or less wheat from this country during the present year. She will get some meat from Australia, but the bulk of this class of foodstuffs must come from tho United States. Argentina is beginning to cut some figure in the meat trade, but the Chicago packers are in control down there and prices are certain cer-tain to be kept up. How tho government at Washington will come' out on this year's wheai guaranty guar-anty remains to be seen. Having guaranteed guar-anteed the farmers war prices for their grain, Uncle Sam stands to lose from ! $.500, 000,000 to $1,000,000,000 unless the ! surplus can be disposed of at fancy j figures for peace times. There is a heavy shortage of food all over the world, however, and once the Versailles conference concludes its work and the; 'treaty is signed .and ratified, it may be 1 ! that the countries of central Europe ! will be glad to pay well for all the j wheat and meat they can secure. Some- ! I times we think that the real truth re-1 'garding the food situation has not been told, that conditions have never been so alarming as the people of this country coun-try have been led to believe. It will not be long before we shall know all 'about it. If w-e succeed in selling cur j surplus foodstuffs at good prices, the figures given out from time to time j were approximately correct. If we are i not able to dispose of our products ox-jcept ox-jcept at a heavy loss, so far as wheat is concerned, we shall become painfully aware of the fact that we have been victimized by overproduction which, under un-der the circumstances, could not b. j helped. I All of the allied countries have borrowed bor-rowed vast sums of money in the United States for the purpose of carrying on the war. We are still extending financial finan-cial aid to these nations. Unless congress con-gress authorizes tho continuance of such loans they will be discontinued upon the return of peace. This matter must b e co! i s 1 d , ' r e d in connection with oar xport of food-duffs, for none of the Kuropean countries n in condition to cty ut ea-h for supplies unless it be :-..r limited quantities. Our January ex-: ex-: ports were exceedingly heavy, record-'r'.'a'.ing, record-'r'.'a'.ing, in fa'-t. 1: the figures for the first quarter of the year are equally favorable, there will be no need to ac-. ac-. u-c France of going elsewhere for her food supplies, for we shall be entirely independent in the matter of food exports. |