Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1916-02-26
ENGLISH
TOBACCO
British Government Issues Or.
der Prohibiting ImpOrta-
tiOnS Into That Country.

Much interest and speculation has
been created by the announcement
made in Associated Press dispatches
from London to the effect that tobac-
co had, by royal decree, been added
to the list of prohibited imports into
England, to be effective March /.
The Associated Press article from
London concerning the British order
is given herewith:
With two years supply on hand,
both for domestic consumption and
manufacture for export to other coun-
tries, British tobacco importers are
not greatly worried over the order
prohibiting importations, but they are
all speculating as to what effect it will
have upon the American growers.
Tobacco improves with holding and
wholesalers and manufacturers can
await the resumption of regular COM
merce, but the growers may suffer
by price slump, it is felt.
The annual domestic consumption
here is about 1OO,OOOOOO pounds,
while the amount re-eXpOrted in man.
ufactured form is 38,oOo, 600 pounds,
so that the 279, 600, 600 pounds in Brit
ish warehouse assures a two years
supply for the United Kingdom.
Ninety per cent Of this came from the
United States, this amount making
Great Britain Americas best individ-
ual customer.
Tobacco consumption in Great
Britain has increased greatly during
the past few years and importers
have been bringing in huge amounts
until recently storage space has been
at premium. The government is
well aware of this condition, so de-
spite the powerful financial interests
involved in the trade, it had little
difficulty in making tobacco one OF
the first victims of the policy of re-
stricting the importations OF luxuries.
The Imperial Tobacco Company,
the largest buyer of American tobac-
CO, is not expected to cease buying,
as it is understood it feels it necessary
| to sustain the American market and
therefore will probably store its pur-
chases in the United States. This
plan, however, may be upset, as
there is probability that the govern
ment will soon forbid the transfer OF
money to pay for commodities on the
prohibited list.
The figures on imports from the
United States of other articles on the
prohibited list do not show any great
value on normal years, although Of
considerable bulk, but recently heavy
importations of paper have been made
from America.
The further extension of the pro-
hibited list is awaited with keen inter-
est by importers of American goods.
If fruit be prohibited, the United
States will be a heavy sufferer as
more than half of Great Britain'S an
nual importations of $l0,0O0,0OO
worth of apples come from there. Do
nestle apple growers of influence will
heartily endorse any plan which keeps
out foreign apples, it is gathered, and
importers therefore are hardly likely
to be able to bring sufficient influence
| to bear to keep this fruit off the list.
Citrus fruits may be saved the pro-
hibition, as Spain is making strong
representations aglinst the proposal to
place oranges and lemons on the list.
1t is considered inevitable here that
canned goods ultimately will be placed
on the list, thereby greatly affecting
American canned fruits and salmon,
which are heavily imported by Great
Britain.
A prominent American diplomat,
who has been studying trade condi-
tions abroad as effected by the war,
stated to the Associated Press that
the present list is merely an entering
wedge for a policy which seeks abso-
lutte government control of all over
seas trade. License will be granted
for goods actually needed by Eng