Bismarck daily tribune., 1915-12-05
DANUBE RIVER
IS OPENED FOR.
. FREIGHT BOATS
Russians Had Closed the Stream
by Sinking Old scows and
Steamer in Iron Gate.
BULGARIA HAS BIG .f,
CROP FOR EXPORT
Germany and Austria Will Be
Able to Take All the Surplus
for Home Consumption.

AVA AAVSAAC
Berlin, Dec, M The resumption Of
steamboat trAsslon the Danube is an
event Of, much economic Importance
for Germany and Austria-Hungary.
That river is in peace times the great
highway for freight traffic between
,Rumanta and Bulgaria on the one side
and the Central Powers on the other;
and by far the greater part of the for.
eign trade of the two little Danubian
Kingdoms has been with their big
western neighbors. E'ut river trafac
has been entirely suspended since the
war broke out-and this for two
causes. Not only did Serbia put mines
into the river, but the Russians sunk
some old vessels in the narrow chan.
mel of the Iron Gate just below the
Hungarian frontier. This wholly stop.
ped the export of grain from Bulgaria
to Germany and the dual monarchy.
and also greatly restricted shipments
from Rumania as we'll. Some ship
ments by rail were made from Ruma.
mia, indeed; but not only were the
railroads quite Inadequate !, for, the
traffic offered, but tie .Rumanian gov.
ernment pursued a policy which up.
peared to be dictated by the wish to
check shipments. .# !, !.
y, Importance Of Move. H. :,
The government apparently believ.
ed, that Germany and its ally were
placed ina position of dependence up.
on R,tmania for grain pplies;- hence
it was disposed to drive a hard bar.
gain with them. Not only were .sesx-
port duties on grain introduced but
special fees for placing freight ,cars
at the disposal / Of shippers. were
charged. In consequence Of this. pol.
Icy, the greater part Of the grain avail.
able for export from the 1914 crop
was left in the country and. is still
there Only recently-after the Serb
ian campaign was well advanced
did the Rumanian government, SEQ
that it's system of squeezing the trade
for all that could be got out OF it
could no longer be maintained: and
about a week before the Germans ana
Austrians effected junction with the
troops the Bucharest. au-
thorities began to relax the onerous
burdens upon the exploration Of grain
and other agricultural products. Ip
view of the harsh measures enforced
by Rumania, however, there is now .
strong disposition in Germany and
Austria to buy no Rumanian grain at
all, and to buy from Bulgaria instead;
but doubtless the trade will later
come around to taking Rumanian
grain without objections as soon az
It is offered on equal terms with Bull
garian. -
The supplies to be obtained from
those two countries are very large
much larger, in fact, taan Germany
and her ally are likely to need. Here
in Germany, the fact has been es.
:ablished through official inquiry taat
the stock of grain in the country Is
ample for feeding the population;
hence there is no need for buying
abroad for bread making purposes.
IN the other hand, a big addition to
he grain supplies will come in very
as it can be fed to live
stock and thus increase the meat sup.
by. .,5
Rich in Foodstuffs.
Rumania produces about 6,500.000
ons of grain, of which about 100000
ons represent corn, 100000 tons
wheat, and the rest is chiefly barley.
Yearly half Of the crop has hitherto
'een exported. TIE amount now avail.
bile for export, however, is believed
o be at least 100000 tons, after
bout two.thirds Of last years export
Ible surplus was left in the country
through the governments restrictive
measures. In Bulgaria, according to
fficial estimates, there will be about
100000 tons Of grain for export from
his years crop, of which about 200..
90 tons represent corn and the rest
iliefly wheat and besides tehse
mounts there are about 100000 tons
+ corn and barley left in the country
rom the 1914 crop. There is thus q
cssible supply of some 6,500,000 tons
or more than 225,O00,000 oushels) in
ne two countries for Germany and
lustria to draw from.
Other foodstuffs can also he OBJ
ained from Bulgaria. Before its re-
ent period of wars began the country
as exporting about $5!0O0;000 worth
t animals and meats yearly; and it is
xpected that considerable quantities
butter and eggs will no, Oe export.
d to Germany. The resumption Of
.affic on the Danube will also bring
ermany into trade relations with
turkey again. The importance to
ermany of this connection is evident
ON the fact that Turkeys exports Of
Nv materials amounted, before the
ar, to nearly $11O, 1000, ,000, ,<and those
food products to about $195, 100000.