Barton County democrat., 1914-09-18

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casionally raises 800 million bu
shells, having a surplus for ex
port. Germany requires 300 mil
lion bushels and raises in mos
favorable years only 10 millior
bushels. When you consider tina
Germany is a third smaller thar
Texas, it is marvellous that sht
raises even half her requirements
Her imports she usually draws
from Russia, Roumania anG
America. Each of this sources
the war has cut off. Germany
draws from 35 to 80 per cent Of
her wheat from foreign countries
Russia exports from 14O to 15C
million bushels a year; but it need
hardly be stated that she will jeal-
OuSly hoard her own wheat this
year. Austria-Hungary raises zoo
million bushels a year and Rou-
mania so million bushels. OF all
the grain growing nations of Eu-
rope, Italy is the only one remain
ing neutral, and she raises only
200 million bushels; and so much
of this is macaroni wheat that she
herself imports from 25 to 40 mil
lion bushels of white wheatS. Or
dinarily the 500 million deficit of
wheat in Europe would be sup
piled by Russia, France, Rau-
mania, Canada, Australia, India,
Argentina and the United States.
This year the war has wiped ev-
cry country off the slate as an ex-
porter except Argentina and the
United States. Argentina this
year counts on a crop of 25O mil
lion bushels, the United States on
"a crop of $50 million bushels.
Counting domestic needs at six
bushels per head and seed in Ar
gentina at two per acre for sew
enteen million acres of wheat
lands, and in the United States al
the same for an area of 80 million
acres, these two countries could
supply between them close to 45O
million bushels of Europe'S 500
million deficit.
Canada's Wartime Plight.
But Argentina is in as bad a
way as to ships as the United
States. For cargo carriers she has
depended on England and Ger
many; and English and German
freighterS are either tied up at
their docks or ordered home. In
a single harbor like Baltimore OF
BuenoS Aires it is estimated that
the war is costing a million dol
lars a day in loss in wages, stor-
age, Stevedoring, sales, insurance
What it is costing the millions OF
farmers inland from the harbors
no one has dared to estimate. In
one single day wheat jumped ter
cents in the West on the announce
ment of war, representing a gain
to the farmer of SO million dol.
lars; but when it was found thai
there were no ships to carry the
wheat forward the gain dropped
by half.
Only a year ago, Mr.. Schwerin
of the Pacific Mail, was asked
"Why not force foreign carriers
to obey United States law by shut.
ting them out of the harbors il
they do not?" 'If you shut oul
foreign ships from the ports Of
America for one month";" answer.
ed, this authority on shipping
you would have the worst finan
cia panic you have ever Seen."
The effects the war will have
on Canada can hardly be exagger.
ated as a national catastrophe
Canada has stood aside from wal
protected by the English flag fol
a hundred years. 1t is inevitable
in this great extremity that sht
should rally to the support of thu
mother country. She has Offered
$4,000 troops. In event of war she
becomes a belligerent, and hel
commerce subject to confiScatior
on the high seas. Canada ha.
spent millions in land, cash, sub.
sides, lOanS-to be accurate, ovel
a billiOn-building up a transpor
tation system east and west in
stead of north and south. The rec
line of an all-imperial route nov
belts the globe. Canadian subsi
died steamers ply from Quebet
to Europe, from Vancouver to thu
Orient, conveying Canadian traf
fic; but as a belligerent her com