The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-09-10

Europe and America are now en-
gagged in battle royal for sugar
That is the primary cause of the high
prices that now prevail. Cut of by
the outbreak Of the war from her sup
ply of 100000 tons of sugar ordi-
narily secured from Germany and
Austria-Rungary, England turned to
the nearest cvailatlc sugar market,
which happened to be New York
Backed by cash, assuming all the war
risk involved in shipment and ready
to pay whatever prices might be
necessary to secure sugar, british
buyers invaded the American market.
Within little more than a week, they
purchased almost 100 coo tons of raw
and refined sugar, bidding up the
market nearly three cents a pound in
the process OF getting it. Their buy
ing subsidized temporarily only VIII
they found it impc s5ibio to secure fur
Their prolpt transportation. AS ar
other war measure for securing Il
supply of sugar, orders We're issued
in all the sugar-growing colonies of
Great Britain forbidding the sale of
sugar except for imperial use.
At the outbreak OF the, war the
visible supply of sugar available for
the American market was barely suf-
ficient to last until the new crop of
American grown sugar should begin
to become available in October. The
withdrawal Of 100000 tons from this
supply created q serious shortage, and
inquiries received in the New York
market indicating that England would
seek to obtain several hundred the,
sand tons mere of sugar, ard that
other European countries might en-
deavor to purchase sugar here, threat
ened to make this shortage, much
more serious. AS result, American
purchasers in the sugar market. seek
ing to protect their own trade, en-
tered into active competition with
the foreign buyers in the scramble
for sugar. To make the situation
more acute, consumers in all parts Of
the country rushed to lay in supplies
far in excess Of their ordinary pur
chases, thus accentuating the scarcity.
The prize for which the buyers of
Great Britain and America ars con-
tending is the Cuban sugar crop. Eng
land and the United States each i'm
port annually about 100000 long
tons Of sugar The Cuban crop is
about 100000 tons, enough to sup
lily one of these two big customers,
but entirely inadequate to meet the
needs of both. The prospect, there
part OF these two countries to secure
the bulk Of the coming Cuban crop
in case the war continues for any
considerable length CT time.
When the present blockade Of
shipping is relieved, it is probable
that Great Britain, and POSSIBLY also
SuO OuAIOu olutCo, 1udy OOCdAA oOAAS7
sugar from tropical cane growing
countries other than Cuba. The fact
remains, however, that the European
nations producing annually 100000
long tons of sugar, CT As per cent
of the entire worlds sugar supply,
are now at war A large part OF
this crop will be sacrificed, how much
remains to be seen. At any rate,
approximately 100000 tons crdinar-
lily exported from these countries is
withdrawn from accustomed trade
channels, and this means q world
wide scarcity of sugar while the war
continues and probably for some
time afterward
The one great lesson fer the Amer
lean people in the present situation
is the necessity of encouraging and
developing the production from Amer
lean soil of all the sugar required by
the American people so that we may
be independent of ether nations and
our consumers may be assured of a
permanent adequate supply OF cheap
sugar.