The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-15
Special to The Globe.

Special to The Globe. @ RVS
LONDON, Feb. Ia. - Britishers are
getting worried about their beef sup
ply. John Bull can do without ice water
and cocktails and absinthe and sauer-
kraut or caviare, but if once the ques-
ton of cutting off his beef supply ever
comes to be considered even remotely
there is trouble threatened.
The Chicago beef trust is worrying
him because he sees in it a menace to
his full supply of the roast beef out
of which much of the glory of old Eng
land is supposed to have sprung.
/ Statisticians have been busy figuring
out the figures of the worlds beef sup
ply and columns of figures and frantic
suggestions have appeared in the news
papers anent the dire possibilities of
American absorption of the supply Of
bovine nutrition.
The statements of the industrial com-
mission recently sent to the United
States and it's comparisons of the work.
ing capacity of the American mechanic
with that Of the British, showing that
the American gets double the beef in
his rations to do it on have all been
carefully weighed and considered.
Mr.. Morgan and his partner, Mr.. Per-
ldns, may monopolize London's subway
systems. buy up her ocean greyhounds
and mediate all kinds of aggrandizing
schemes. but when it comes to corner
ing the worlds beef supply there will
be trouble.
r But someone has said that J. p Nor
gan intends to discount the future
when the United States will be able
to grow barely enough for her own
needs, by cornering or controlling the
beef supply of the Argentine republic
and of Canada.
OF course Mr.. Morgan has not sue
ceeded in forming a beef trust yet, but
over here, where he is thought to be
almost invincible, it is said that he has
deeply laid plans for drawing the Cud-
ahys, ArmoUrs and others into his
financial net.
If the American workingman. the
American sailor and the American SOL
der are to be able to outstep all their
rivals, says the British mind it must
be through the control of the beef sup
ply, for it is the great meat eaters Of
the world who must shape and control
The statisticians have figured out
that the American meat trade. has
reached turning point in it's history.
The period Of abundant, excessive pro-
duction has passd Or is passing. To
us in this little land, accustomed to
think Of limitless prairies of the great
New World, it comes as something of
a shock to be told that America can
ever fail to supply the world with beef.
But In few years time the United
States will raise barely enough beef to
feed its own population. Every year
the surplus proportion of her prodllc-
ton available for export shrinks.
The day is within sight when the
supply will be insufficient to meet the
demand OF the ever increasing ponula-
ton. and America herself, the worlds
bounteous food giver, will have to look
abroad for supplies
Since 1897 the supply of fresh beef
from the United States to this country
mas increased. But when the vastly In
creased facilities offered by the de-
yeiopment of the refrigerating system
ana the increased demand caused by
the restriction of live importation are
remembered, the increase is small. In
1887 the United States sent over here
2,243,000 cwt., of fresh beef Last wear
they contributed 3,18O,000 cwt
In the same period of five years our
imports of fresh beef from the Ar
gentine Republic have increased from
S4,673 cwt. to 773,900 cwt. The figures
are startling and their progression is