New Britain herald., 1915-09-25
GERMANY HARD HTT
 BY SWEDEN'S MOVE
Teutons Practically Lose Source
 of Food Supply


 action of the Swedish government in prohibiting the export of all meat canned goods and live stock, which becomes operative today, means the practical loss to Germany Of sweden as a source of food supply. Certain minor exceptions will exist, the most important of which is fish; and pork and bacon can still be exported under special licenses; but the order Is as absolute and infiexible. as possible under the circumstances and Swe- den's export trade in food is for the time being, and probably as long os the war lasts almost completely at an end. .s | Although it has been common knowledge that Germany has been substantially helped by Sweden m the matter of food, the extent of this help has only been revealed by frag- mentary figures which are now avail able The prohibitory order has been for long time delayed by desire expressed by the government to first count the amount of stock on hand in Sweden and determine whether it had actually fallen low enough to make the prohibition irn- perative. The results of this inves- | tigation are startling.
 1892, ,,OOO Cattle Exported. During the first year of the war | 162,000 cattle have been exported, | practically the whole stock going | to Germany. This is fully 300 per
 
 | port before the war. During the same length of time 500,000 hogs, alive or slaughtered, have been sent out of Sweden to foreign markets, al- though in this case large percentage | has gone to England. The counting | of stock showed that whereas Swe- den was expected to have for home consumption 100000 hogs, now has on hand less than half this num- Der. The alarming scarcity of pro- visions shown by the investigations, together with the popular outcry against the high prices which actual | ly placed the common necessities of life beyond the reach of the poor con- sumner, resulted in the order prohib- iting further export. It is thought that this order will soon be extend ed to all food.
 Soon after the outbreak of the war, thousands of German buyers swarmed into Sweden, who did what they could, even in the smallest vil- lages, to buy up all available meat and vegetables. Duly organized and with special central offices establish ed, where food accumulated, live 1 stock was slaughtered, canner and l exported to Germany. 1 Allow Short Respite. At Landscrona and Malmo, factor ies were built and no detail was omit ted in the systematic attempt to make the export as high as possible. A temporary step taken by the Swedish government last January forbidding the export of all timed goods al- lowed Sweden a short respite from system which was draining her of supplies which were necessary for home consumption. But by varrNus dodges, and principally by exporting the same amount of meat in form of live stock or slaughtered cattle, the export soon reached its former height Swedish dealers were encouraged to continue this excessive and disastrous export by the enormous prices which were offered by Germans. Food prices began to mount daily and with alarm ing bounds until it was evident that 8 continuance of exports would lead to the actual starvation of Sweden. The scarcity and the almost prohibit tive prices placed upon articles of food which always had been regarded as the simple necessities of life, have caused already acute suffering among the poorer classes.
 In addition to the prohibition of exports, food commissions are already fixing maximum prices on the ordin- | ary food commodities. Milk which l has been selling for about six certs | 0 litre has already fallen to five cents | at the instructions of the commission, | and a maximum price of six dollars | and a quarter per hundred kilos of | wheat has been set by the govern l ment, to last until tho fifth of Octo- | Der. ..
 Reduce Speculative Prices.
 It is thought that the prohibition | of exports and the recomment1a ations | made by the commission will effec- lively reduce the speculative prices 1 which now prevail, but to further help in the matter and to do away | with the middlemen, and agents com missions, the government has es- tapnshed 1000 bureau, with pranch offices all over the country, to buy all available supplies and sell them directly to the consumer without pro- fit. This will undoubtedly be of ma terial assistance in the effort to send prices downward.
 Pork today is s5 cents per kiio. A year ago it was 45 cents. Butter now so cents, year ago 50 cents. Eggs now fifty cents for twenty, year ago twenty-five cents. Beef now seventy five cents, formerly thirty cents