The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-04
Food Supply of the Beers.

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Ever since the outbreak of the Boer
war. and long before. much has been
said in news dispatches OF the Beers pre-
psredness for war so far as death-dealing
munitions were concerned. Very little
has appeared regarding the question of
the Roer food supply. no less important
s<ce q nations measure Of endurance is
quite as much TO the purpose as its mea-
sure Of resistance. or Of depression. The
following from the New York kSerirS
Post shows how the Beers are liked 9cod-
wise:
Exporters in this city who make spe-
cialty OF the South African trade are 60
ing great deal Of thinking at Jss pres
emf time over the problem that y great
~ perplexing the British sovetnmeas-
that is. the extent 10 which the Beers are
prepared. as far as food supplies are cen
cerned, 10 withstand the protraeteG siese
that seems likely 10 ensue on the prit-
ish advance. These exporters appar 70
believe that the Beers are remarkably
well provisioned. and that any attempt to
starve them out Is hardly likely 70 SIC
coed soon.
At first sight it might seem that New
York commission merchants were sea &C.
" competent to solve tins problem. bur
it is believed that their opinion Is Of mich
greater value than that ofany oihcr ci9ss
of export merchants, bec1ise iheir cp-
portunities 10 form 3 conservative 5udg-
ment have been so mWca more favorable
The extent OF American trade with the
TransvaaI especially n H. mStte- IF c.
reals and food stuffs. according T. the
statement of one versej If the statistics
OF international trade. was s0metlinS OF
which the American people had 40 just
conception It was added that the Beers
tfx- al u
nominaiIy farmers. raised very little Of
their own food. but are fed almost entire
" by foreign nations. A. TO canned
meats and jerked beef-or. as the Beers
themselves call il, bill-tong-practicaiiy all
of the immense quantity consumed in
South Africa is supplied by American
firms, shipping through this port
',The British government has shown
remarkable lack of foresight remarked
one of the largest local fool exporters 70
South Africa today. 'iu forming Just es-
innate of the preparedness OF the Beers
for war, and the bad work OF the intel
Iigence department in gaining any accu-
rate information concerning their military
supplies is only one aspect OF the case
AS matter of fact. the Beers have not
only been laying Up an almost inexhaus-
tfble supply of powder and cartridges.
but an abundant supply of food az wei.
II the British succeed in getting as far
as Pretoria or johannesburg and attempt
to lay siege to the cities. they viii dis
cover that the inhabitants will suffer lit
tie from the lack of food; that their gran
aries are fairly bursting with the pro-
ducts of American and Australian farms;
and that in all the other food-stati0ns OF
war time. such as canned beef. the Dutch
are plentifuny provided.
Il base these conclusions upon the eX-
animation of my books. Ny firm sends
great quantities Of flour 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 10 the Trans
vaal and the Orange Free State. ! have
never known the South African trade to
be so brisk as it has been urs1% the
past year, and especially the past few
months.
1T was perfectly apparent that the
Transvaalers were ordering a great Goal
more stuff than they could readily con-
sumo; and the trade In that direction mas
for some time been looked upon as alb
normal.
Take the case of -four exports, for ex-
ample. Flour, under the mos. favofao Die
circumstances, can hardly be preserved
over a year, but in spite II -dt e the
Afrikanders have been increasing their
orders during the past few months in
most surprising way. In the year at9
according TO my figures, some 3El 30J sack-
of -four were sent from New Y1-. to De
lagoa Bay, and about 400, 30 sacks 10 l.e
other South African ports-a large amount
Of which also finds its way into i:e rraRs-
wall.
This amount Is about twice the normal
annual trade in -four The largest -four
shipments ever known were sent in April
and May, which are not ordinarily busy
months in the South African trade. /
know one firm that sent 5000 sacks a
month in the spring OF the present year,
and the shipments OF other New York
concerns were equally large.
"Other commodities than -four how
ever, 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
Samp IS cracked corn. degerminated. II
is almost the staff OF life with the Beers
and is also largely used by the aborlgines
The Beers boil Il In sort Of pOrridFe and
bake It with pork-after the fashion 81
American pork and beans. ShiDload ar
ter shipload Of this. 20 them. Indispensable
article has been sent 10 Delagoa Bay
during the past few months. and ydu can
make I'D your mind that Il Is coming in
handy at the present time Canned beef
is also a favorite article Of diet with the
people Of the Transvaal. and thousands o.
cases OF this has been sent By American
packers.
Those who have visited South Africa.
recently will have 10 occasion 10 ask
where this IS stored away. All over the
republic are scattered immense sheef-ir5n
store houses and I have not the slightest
doubt that these are at the present time
crammed fun Of canned beef and other
convenient edfbles sent from Americ8 dur
ing the past year or 50. and watch VII
prove. 7 am sure. one Of The strongest
weapons OF the Dutch IN the struggle -
ready nnder wav Nhen II con1ea 10 2