The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-08-18
REMARKABLE EXPORT FIGURES
JUNE, 1917, SHOWS HEAVY IN.
CREASE, ESPECIALLY IN
PRICES OBTAINED.
Dollar DwindIcs Faster Than Oman.
tity Gains-WOrld Must Beat Ger.
many.

Washington, Aug. 14.-According
to the statement just published by
the Department of Commerce, the
United States sent abroad nearly
three times as much wheat in June,
1917, as in June, 1916.
1t will be interesting to see how
the July figures, when they come out.
are affected by the fact that Presid ent
Wilson's embargo on certain exports
to neutral nations went into effect
July 1, 1917.
If the United States had not de-
clared state of war with Germany
the situation as to exports of food
stuffs would not have been different
except that it would have been hard
er in that case to put the embargo
on the next-door-to-Germany neu-
trails. The eagerness OF our produc-
ers to sell abroad at famine prices
would have been just as great, and
the reflex action upon prices at home
would possibly have been worse, be-
cause there is less objection to using
war powers of domestic price-control
when we are at war than when we
are not.
Our entire exports of breadstuffs
amounted to $73,442,0O0 in June
last according to the Department of
Commerce. The same figures for
June, 1916, were $26,S23,0OO. For
June, 1914, before the great war i'm
Europe began, the breadstuff exports
amounted to only $780, 200. Meas
ured in dollars, we are now sending
the rest of the world-chiefy anti
Teutonic Europe presumably-about
six and a half times the breadstuffs
we were sending in the months be-
fore the conflict started.
But the increase in quantity of ex-
ports has not been so great as the
increase in their value. The dearth
abroad has been rapidly thrusting up
prices. as we all know; and none
knows where the rise will stop.
The 100000 bushels of wheat we
exported in June, 1916. were worth
s7.477,OoO; the 15,SOO,0OO bushels we
exported in June, 1917. were worth
$43,0O0,00O. These are the official
! valuations.
The 100000 bushels of corn we
exported last June brought $685.
600; the 4,SO0,060- bushels in June of
last year brought s3,994 900! Actuai-
ly less corn brought very much more
money.
AS compared with 1916, the June
figures do not show a remarkable
gain in quantity of exports; but do
show a whopping rise in prices.
There is a great gain in both
quantity and prices, it goes without
saying. when the comparison is be-
tween 1917 and the ante-war pe-
riod.
The world has got to bring the war
with Germany to as quick an end as
possible in order to live. A half a
dollar before the war was as good
as dollar today. This has taken
place in three years.
Though only one of many nations
at war, we have TO contemplate ey-
penditures totaling perhaps SIS, ,0o0,-
100000 the first year. When the
Crusaders 700 years ago sought the
aid of Venice in the great expedition
which captured Constantinople.
the rich Venetians thought their
Doge had turned a great trick of
business when he had charged the
Franks sS50,OOO for his republics
help.
In the fuedal days of France a
good horse was often swapped for
two peasants; and the Turks were
once so hard put to it that thcy gave
up a Christian knight for q pair of
shoes.
War puts human life at q terrible
discount and lesser things at q ter
rible premium. Therefore. the world
has to put down the nation which
makes war its business, or Dark Are
conditions rafurn