The Cordova daily times., 1916-03-17

tIOhi dil dNdlldDie SOuICtSf iHCluuihB official. Rearranged according to groups in the present war - for this is a struggle between war groups the stocks of wheat in quarters is as follows:
 Quadruple Allies - France, 32,000,- 900; Algeria and Tunisia, 5,700,000; United Kingdom, 9,10O,O00; India, 47,- 922,0OO; Canada, 43,O3O,OOO; Egypt and the Cape, 5,2OO,OOO; Australia, 23,200,00O; New Zealand, 100000; Italy, 21,35O,OOO; Russia, 133,OOO,OOO; Japan, 2,95O,OOO. Total, 23,452,O quarters.
 Neutrals - Spain, 17,000,O 900; Por- tugal, SOOOOO; Roumania, 11,250,000; Greece, 600,OO0; Holland, 711,00O; Switzerland, 5000; Sweden. 1,00O,- 900; Denmark, 995,OOO; United States, 126, ,44o,0OO; Mexico. 100000; Argen- tina, 24,OOOOOO; Chile, 2,O00,000; Uru- quay, 100000; Peru, 600,00O; Persia, 100000. Total, 1S9,181,OOO quarters.
 Central Powers - Germany, 2000O,- GOO; Austria, 7.50O,OOO; Hungary, 1S,- 959,0O0; Crotia and Savonia, 1,500,- 900; Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5O0,O00; Bulgaria, 5,7S5,OOO; Serbia, 1,5OO,oOO; Belgium. 1,OOO,O0O. Total, 56,739,0O0 quarters.
 There, are, of course other factors operating in this war game which af- feet the foregoing stocks of the vari- ous countries. Russia's vast stock is practically sealed up and while it can supply her own army and people, it cannot get out through the Dardan- elles, or westward across the AustrO- German lines, or northward through the ice ports and the German Baltic fleet Belgiums stock, also, while controlled by the German occupants of the country is by arrangement used for internal needs. So that these and some other small grain producing countries are out of the worlds fluc- tuations of grain as the food weapon of warfare.
 The recent government purchase in Australia and Argentina are referred to in an official statement which says the British and French govern ments purchased 100000 tons of wheat from Australia. the share of the Brit ish government being 50,0O0 tons. The Argentina purchase, the statement says, was 25O.O0O tons by the British government. At the prevailing rate this would be about $16.OOO,O0O for the Australian and $20,0OO 900 for the Argentina supplies. Details of the Roumanian purchase are given in let ters from Bucharest, stating that Sir George Barclay, the British minister, signed the purchase contract, which the British legation announced was made in behalf of the government. The purchase covered SO,000 car loads at Gl2S per car load. or a total of ten million sterling. $50,000,O00.
 Aside from it's effect on the Ameri- can exchange rate, this gathering in of huge stocks of grain appear to be one of the modern methods of warfare. as a reserve food defence for the armies and population. and as another means of wearing down the enemy by short ening his food resources. This has been urged in the past, notably by MT. Yarburgh. M P, who claimed that a wheat reserve was essential as first line of defence for an insular country like England. liable to be cut off from the food supplies on which it is abso- lutely dependent. The British navy has, of course, been the encircling protection against this possibility. And yet, it appears to be accepted as