The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-21

As to canned meats and jerked beef. prac-
tically all OF the immense quantity con-
sumed in South Africa is supplied by
American firms, shipping through this port.
1.-The British government has shown
remarkable lack OF foresight remarked
one of the largest local food exporters to
South Africa to-day, 'in forming a just es-
timation of the preparedness of the Beers
for war, and the bad work of the intelli-
gence department in gaining any accurate
information concerning their military sup
plies is only one aspect of the case. AS a
matter of fact, the Beers have not only
been laying up an almost inexhaustible
supply of powder and cartridges. but an
abundant supply of food as well. If the
British succeed in getting as far as Pre-
toria or johannesburg and attempt to lay
siege to the cities, they will discover that
the inhabitants viii suffer little from the
lack of food; that their granaries are fairly
bursting with the products of American
and Australian farms and that in all the
other food staples OF war time, such as
canned beef, the Dutch are plentifully pro-
vided.
II base these conclusions on the examina-
ton of my own books. My firm sends great
quantities of -four and canned goods to
South Africa every year, and especially to
Delagoa bay, Port Natal. Durham, East
London and Port Elizabeth, which are the
chief ports of entry to the Transvaal and
the Orange Free State. have never known
the South African trade to be so brisk as it
has been during the past year. and espe-
cially the past few months.
'It was perfectly apparent that the
Transvaalers were ordering great deal
more stuff than they could readily con-
sumo. and the trade in that direction has
for some time been looked upon as abnor-
NAL. Take the case OF -four exports for
example. Flour. under the most favorable
circumstances, can hardly be preserved
over year, but i'm spite of that fact the
Afrikanders have been increasing their
orders during the past few months in a
most surprising way. In the year 1899,
according TO my figures. some 100000 sacks
of flour were sent from New York to Della
goa bay, and about 100000 sacks to the
other South African ports-a large amount
of which also finds it's way into the Trans
vaal. This amount is about twice the nor
NAL annual trade in -four. The largest
flour shipments ever known were sent in
April and May, which are not ordinarily
busy months in the South African trade. 1
know one firm which sent $4,000 sacks a
month in the spring of the present year,
and the shipments of other New York con-
Germs were equally large
"Other commodities than flour, however,
have been sent in vast amounts to South
Africa during the past few months. One of
the choicest delicacies to the Boer palate is
the cereal known as samp. 1t is also the
largely Used by the aborigines The Beers
boil it into sort of porridge and bake it
with pork after the fashion of American
pork and beans. Shipload after shipload of
this to them indispensable article has been
sent to Delagoa bay during the past few
months, and you can make up your mind
that it is coming in handy at the present
of diet with the people of the Transvaal.
and thousands of cases of this have been
sent by American packers.
"Those who have visited South Africa re-
Gently viii have no occasion to ask where
this is stored away. All over the republic
are scattered immense sheetiron store
houses, and 1 have not the slightest doubt
that these are at the present time crammed
| full OF canned beef and other convenient
edibles sent from America during the past
year or so, and which will prove, am sure
| one of the strongest weapons OF the Dutch
| in the struggle already under way when IL
| comes to siege.