The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-08
GREAT BRITAIN AND ALLIES
BUYING VAST STOCKS OF WHEAT

tUU TONS III auSlTdlld dI d Ioot "
100000; 100000 tons in Argen-
tine at a cost of $40, 100000 and the
whole remaining crop of Rumanla
at $4,000, OO0-in all about $4,000
600, probably the largest bulk eX-
penditure for wheat ever made.
This is a new departure govern
ments buying up the wheat supply.
It has special interest to the Unit
ID States for two reasons, namely:
First: The rate OF American ex-
change, which went so strongly
AGAINST England last fall is depend
ent or keepirC down imports OF
American wheat, cotton and other
products In this way the balance
of trade will not be so heavily
against England as it was last fall;
the drain of gold to meet that bal
ance will not be so heavy, and the
exchange rate will remain steady
One of the highest officials of the
government told the Associated
Press. when the rate of exchange
crisis occurred last fall, that one of
the snrest ways of steadyin! the eX-
change was for En- gland to stop buy
ing wheat in the United States and
buy il instead in Australia, Canada
and elsewhere He intimated strong
". too. that this would be done; and
apparently it has been done, al
though the Corn Exchange is flood
ingthe London press with queries
as to why these government pur-
chases are made.
Second: Irrespective Of the ex-
change rate, the government pur-
chase of wheat discloses the tremen-
, dous weapon which the quadruple
allies possess in the control of that
fundamental food product As it
stands now, the countries forming
the quadruple alliance have an enor-
nous stock of wheat, about one-hali
of the total worlds crop of 1915;
the neutral countries come next with
about half as much as the quadruple
allies possess; and the central pow
ers come last with a comparatively
in significant stock of the great fooc
staple. A rough summary showing
the wheat HOLDINGS of the various
groups is as follows:
Quadruple allies. 1928, 452, 900 quar-
ters.
Neutral countries, $50, ZOO
quarters
Central powers, Sc, 739, 900 quar-
tiers.
That is, the quadruple allies hav'
the bulk of the worlds wheat sup
ply, and are buying up good dea
of the neutral's share, while tn
central powers have about one-sixtl
the supply of their opponents wit
little chance of buying from neu
trails or getting it delivered
bought.
The details of wheat holdings b
the two war groups, and by the neu
!, trais, can be approximately figure
ont from reports obtained throug
the Corn Exchange. While not Off
cial the figures are published in tn
lcadinS organs of the EXCHANGE, a
compiled from all available sources
| including official Re-arrangcd &C
| cordng tosroups in the present wa
= for this is a struggle between wa
| groups the stocks of wheat, i
| quarters, is as follows:
Quadruple allies: France $4,000
900; Algeria and Tunisia 100000
United Kingdom 9,1OO,O00; lndi
47.922. 900; Canada 42,03O. coo
Egypt and the Cape 100000; Aus
tralia 23,2OO,OOO; New Zealan
1000 900; Italy 2l,35O.OOO; Russi
3.OOO.0 900; Japan 100000. Tot;
| - - -,uuu qudi lSis.
| Neutrals: Spain 100000: POI
tugal 10000; Rumania 1880, 00C
Grcece, 100000; Holland, 7i1.o0C
Switzerland ASS, 900; Sweden 1000
600: Denmark $4,000; Unite
States l26,440,000; Mexico 100000
Argentina 24,000,000;. Chile 1000
900: Uruguay 100000; Peru 500
600: Persia 100000. Total lS9
$4,000 quarters.
Central powers: Germany 0,00C
600: Austria 100000; Hungal
IS.959 coo; Crotia and SlaTon
f.5Oa, 600; Bosnia and Hersgovil
aG0. coo; BULGARIA. 5,7S5.O00; Serb
i 100000 Relgium 1000 600. Tot
56.72G,O 0G quarters
There are OF course other facto
operating in this war game which {
feet the foregoinr stocks of the Y
rious countries. Russia's vast sto
is practically sealed up, and while
can supply her own army and peop
it cannot get out through the Ds
danelles, or westward across t
Austro- German lines. or northwa
through the ice ports and the G,
; man Baltic fleet. Belgium's stot
: also, while controlled by the Germ
. occupants of the country. is by ;
. rangement used for internal need
60 HAT thnsn and soma nther SIN