The Washington times., 1914-07-19
LOOKING TO URUGUAY
FOR BEEF SUPPLY
Pan-American Union Indicates
Possibilities of South Ameri-
can Country.

With porterhouse steak at 80 cents .
pound as a near prospect. beef eaters
of the world are growing somewhat
worried over the prospect Of further
advances Especially in the United
States, has the advance in price been
most noticeable.
Argentina Is supplying some Of the
product, but when the enormous con-
sumption of beef and beef products In
the United States is considered the
quantity imported Is not even drop
in the bucket" The question which
is aggitating the country at present.
is where to look for more meat?
In this connection, an article In the
July number of the Monthly Bulletin
of the Pan American Union. entitled
Uruguay as a Cattle Country" II In
of the cattle industry in the republic.
Beef Still Wasted.
Something over hundred years ago
! the ranchmen of Uruguay complained
to the government that over $4,000 head
of cattle were being killed annually
Tor their hides alone, The carcasses
were thrown to the dogs. or left on
the rolling pampas for the vuItures
to deyour. Beef in Uruguay was so
plentiful that il was something OF q
NUISANCE. etlQGnLiy. vi course, I18r cav
has passed, but they still have cattle
enough down there to convert some
10000 head into 11300,G00 pounds OF
jerked beef in one year, most Of which
Is sold to Brazil, Cuba, Porto Rico, and
other tropical countries. Think of the
juicy tenderloins of l0o,0 600 head Of cat
tie going into jerked beef
Again, there are many thousands Of
Uruguayan cattle annually converted
into extract of beef. Perhaps but few
people know that the first great fac
tory for the production Of beef ex-
lished at Fray Bentos. little city on
the Uruguay river about 100 miles above
Buenos Aires. the cosmopolitan capital
of Argentina. and that IL is still doing
though the stand has grown encr-
mously larger since the time il became
the pioneer in the beef-tea industry.
The worldwide reputation of this con-
Germ Is perhaps largely due to the high
grade of the cattle of Uruguay, as
well as to the cleanly and scientific
manner OF the preparation of the prod
uct- The writer of the article in the
bulletin states:
Fray Bentos has been called the
greatest kitchen in the world. On some
days 200 head of cattle are slaugh-
tered. then treated so as to get the
finest meat from them. the bones and
ribs. the intestines. tails. sinews, hoofs,
and other parts being reserved for their
various uses But this special meat Is
cooked. to be sure, in a. real kitchen.
and with the best possible care and at
tention to detail.
Source of Meat Supply.
' There are chemists. Laboratories, en-
gineers. and authorities on technical
matters. all engaged in cooking the beef
so as to turn 1t out In the most accept
able form as the popular extract The
is organized with a system Of
help to. the employees, for improving
their physical. material. and moral
welfare. It maintains an almost model
city around its factory, and has a repu-
tation for enterprise and fair dealing
which gives 1t an enyiable place in the
business world
.'Of more interest to the people of the
United States. however, is the fact that
Uruguay has upward of 100000 head
plains, and that It will very soon be
taken into serious consideration as .
source of meat supply for the great
republic of the north. During the first
four months of 1914 the United States
imported meat to the value OF d-230,N3
from Uruguay. II the months Of March
and April may be taken as a criterion,
the annual Importation will amount TO
about s. S.ooo. 900. and the trade Is as yet
in its first stages. With the rise In
price of refrigerated beef. Uruguay can
be depended upon as being an important
factor in the markets Of the world. and
instead of converting its fine cattle into
jerked beef new refrigerating plants VIII
be sending chilled or frozen quarters
to New York by the shipload. The de-
mand exists now. and the only question
Is, how much can Uruguay supply?