The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-27
The Suggestion OF
Hnofher ALLIANCE


Frank Lee In the IlmeS-Heralu
RI VEN more formidable than the
Ill much discussed Anglo-American al
r. lance would be one between the
IL United States and Russia. 1t might
be an ircongruous partnership, this
union of czar and republic, but it would
be one that would make all Europe quail
1t would also be a strong factor in the
promotion of peace. 1t would be an an
nouncement to the world that it should
obey the dictates of the two nations or
starve. For starvation would be the
fate of any nation that would dare to
oppose it, And food is a most powerful
factor in the internal policy of states
You may tax or rob the peasant to suit
yourself but when you make him pay
twice as much for his food or deprive him
of it you incte revolution Men with
empty Stomachs do not think of fight
ing foreign foes. They complain of their
government. The effect of starvation is
seen in the distress and famine now ex-
listing in parts of Europe and the riots
that have been frequent since the Span
ish-AmeriCan war.
The United States and Russia occupy
position unique among the great powers
of the world. They not alone produce
enough food for their own needs but all
of the rest of the world buy from them.
the Russian steppes ripen vast crops Of
grain that are exported to every cline.
According to the figures of the eminent
statistician, Maurice G.. Mulhall, the
amount of wheat exported by the prin-
Cipal countries of the world during the
years of 1891 to 1925 averaged as follows:
From Tons. From Tons.
L. S. .........4 40 900 Roumania 1900 900
Russia ....,..2, ,OOO, coo Canada ........2iO mO
River Plate i, ,O4O 900 Austria ...l5O COO
India ......... 100000
OF these total shipments of 9,43O, 900 tons
it will be seen that the United States and
Russia together ship 6,470,OOO tons, or con-
siderably more than twO-thirds of the
total.
All of the other countries are more or
| less dependent upon these two favored
nations for their supply. The official fig-
ures IN the latest British Statistical ABB
stract, for instance, show that of the
| wheat imported into the United Kingdom
| during the year 1926 there was bought
| from Russia l72il,6OO hundredweight, and
| from the United States 30, 69i 900 hundred
| weight. The total imports of the United
/ Kingdom for that year were 002j, $50 hun
| dredweight, and the aggregate from Rus
sia and the United States was Al 936, 800
! hundredweight, or GS per cent of the to-
tai How inadequately her colonies suf-
flee to supply Great Britain's needs is
! shown by the fact that she imported but
| 21l2,94O hundredweight from India and
| 800 hundredweight from Australasia. In
time of war even this supply, meager as
it is, would be imperiled, as we'll as tina;
| from Argentina, should Russia and the
! United States choose to consider food
| COntraband of war.
o
Mulhall has laid down the law that as
CARDS the capablity of a country for
supporting population, II may be said that
as a rule the number Of inhabitants per
acre should not exceed half the number
| of acres in the productive area, That Is
to say, for every 100 titled acres not moro
| than 80 souls, The following table shows
that there are seven European countries
that are opulated-Belgium, Eng
| land, Holland Scotland, Italy, Germany
and Switzerland:
Inhabitants per 100 productive acres;