Perth Amboy evening news., 1917-02-24
FOOD ORDER
HITS AMERICAN TRADE

| new UTh, feD. -t.--SulppltiS htii
and commercial interests today sensed
the importance of Mr.. LloydGeorge's
speech in parliament on the U-boat
menace in its relation to American ex-
ports to England. study of the pre-
mier's announcement shows that 1t
deals American export commerce a
hard blow.
Articles placed on the prohibited list
represent considerable amount Of the
export commerce of this country. For
instance, during the eleven months
ending November, 1916, the United
Kingdom imported lumber and its by
| products to the extent Of $10,000,00o
from this country, $S294.0O0 in canned
| salmon, SO 497 ,627 Of furs, $4,076,702
leather boots and shoes and $1,000, 7O2
worth of agricultural machinery.
| Millions In Other Exports.
One of the largest items is hides and
leather. More than $30,000,OO0 worth
of these products were shipped to the
| United Kingdom from American ports
during the eleven months ending last
November, according to report issued
recently by the department of COM
merce.
Figures for the last fiscal year show
the United States shipped considerable
vegetables, apples and dried fruits to
England. Some of the amounts for the
las fiscal year are: Apples, $3,500,0 600;
prunes, S1,260,000; raisins, $3,000,0 900;
dried apples and other fruits, $750,OO0.
The announcement by Lloyd George
came in the gravest speech Of his ca
reer when in the house of commons he
sounded warning that the success or
failure Of Germany's U-boat campaign
will mean life or de" tn for the British
empire.
There was no sure way to victory"
said he, without hunting the suIma-
rines from the deep"
Premier's Grave Warning.
Far from raising "cry in the will
derness," wall over what is and
might have been, the premier, after
thus opening the nations eyes as to the
danger that confronts it, promptly set
about to proclaim schedule of sweep
ing constructive measures to remove
the menace.
Save tonnage!
Cut down imports!
Boost home production!
1t wa5 imperative, he said, thai the
uatitn should know what the condi-
tions are, that the stocks of food at
present are lower than ever and that
hand in hand with the enormous in-
crease in the demand Of tonnage is 60
ing an alarming decrease Of tonnage.
. Luxuries and unnecessary articles
will not be imported.
The premier dealt only with cold,
success Of the U-bOat campaign thus
; far.
1t was visibly painful task for the
premier to announce in the course of
his speech the import restrictions that
will hit Britain's own allies. Even lux
uries from Italy and France, he said,
rlay no longer be imported.
i On the other hand. it was with r.tde
he told Of the-assistance rendered by
i Great By 10 her allies. More than
! -,ees 1:ece.s v s.ffttsn Iii kiprang hsd
, Eeen allocated to France alone, and
I Russia and Italy had received consiJ
erable amounts.
But the time had come, the premier
indicated, when England could NO
longer give such assistance; when she
needed every ton Of shipping for her
self He added:
Hopes to Crush U-Boats.
"The government is hopeful Of find
ing means of dealing with the subma.
rine, but we should be guilty Of folly
if we rested TRANQUILITY upon the ex
: pectation Of realizing that hope. We
have to deal ruthlessly and promptly
with the tonnage problem by measures
which impose great sacrifices upon the
country.
"There are three sets of measures
First, by the navy, as described by Sir
: Edward Carson, first lord of the admir-.
atty; second, the building of merchant
ships; third, dispensing with unneces-
sary commodities from abroad and pro-
duction Of as much food as possible at
home.
IF such a program is carried out
England can face the enemy's worst,
and that is what we ought to prepare
, to face.
"The year before the war $4,000, 900
tons of shipping entered British ports.
During the past year the total was
= 100000.
"a considerable portion of our tom
} mage has been sunk by submarines
during the last thirty months.
, 'The ration has been increased dur
, ing the past four or five months and
this present month, due to Germanys
special efforts to do her worst.
Enormous sacrifices are required,
testing the national grit The govern
. ment hopes TO deal effectively with
this question, but it does not follow
that we should rest on this hope only.
"There is no sure means of victory
without hunting the submarine from
the 'leep."