The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-09-15
Surplus in North America, 400,-
100000 Bushels Less Than
Amount Required.
MUST UTILIZE OTHER CEREALS
Uncle Sans Food Administration De-
ciares Situation Can Be Met Only
by Reduction in Con-
sumption.


The United States and Canada have
deficit for this year of over AGO.
0O0,00 bushels in the amount required
from North America for the allied ma
tons and neutrals of Europe. on
basis of normal wheat consumption
there, as shown by figures for three
year pre-war period.
The normal requirements of France,
Italy, the United Kingdom, and Bel
GUM, for the pre-war period, aver
aged 3S1 100000 bushels Of wheat, and
of the other cereals 345yOO0,OOO bush
els. To this should be added the cs-
timated deficiency due to war IN their
grain production for this year OF &c.,
662, 900 bushels, of which 19OWo,OoO
are wheat, making it necessary for
these countries to import In the next
IL months total of 577,OO0,0OO bush
els Of wheat and 674,O00,000 bushels
Of other cereals if normal consumption
requirements are to be met.
The estimated wheat surplus for
1917 of the United States Is SS,O0O,OOO
bushels, to which be added the prob
able surplus of 12O,0OO,O00 bushels for
Canada. OF other cereals the United
States will have an estimated sur
plus this year In excess of S29.OO0,0OO
bushels; and Canada surplus OF 49,
100000 bushels, or total of about
950,000,000 bushels.
Deficit 100000 Bushels.
Therefore, on the normal basis of
consumption the total allied wheat
import requirements are 5T7,0O0,OOO
bushels against North American sur
plus Of 2OS,0O0,OO0 bushels, or 100000
900 bushels In excess of the supply.
From our United States supply we
must reserve a certain amount for
neutrals from which we receive vital
supplies, and also an amount to bet
ter protect our stocks next year than
this last. There is, therefore, deficit
Of 40O,000.000 bushels In the amount
accessory 'Or normal consumption and
necessary reserves.
While this situation is one of great
difficulty and concern 1t must be met,
and met by elimination of waste and
reduction in wheat consumption.
In the other cereals, used in Europe
mostly for animal feed, the import
sumption basis are about G74,000,000,
against North American surplus of
950,000.000. The necessary reserve
for neutrals and increased "carry
over" will absorb all the margin. How
ever, upon the basis of our present
crop prospects we should be able to
supply their requirements in cereals
other than wheat.
Our crops, especially our corn crop,
cannot yet be considered as certain,
but IL all mature safely, North Amer
lea will have an apparent surplus of
wheat of 2OS,0OO,OOO bushels and of
other cereals of about 950,000,00O
bushels.
Allies Are Isolated.
The allies are isolated from those
markets, other than Canada and the
United States, on which they were ac-
custOmed to rely before the war. The
Russian supply cannot be got out.
Bulgarian and Roumanian supplies
are In the hands of the central en-
pires. The voyage from Australia and
India Is three times as long and there
fore requires three times as many tons
of shipping as Is required from North
In Arte To-, nj Nxr,tAa a
dangerous because of the longer ex-
pOsure to submarine attack. There
has been a large failure in the South
American countries and the new hnr-
vest from that quarter will not be
available in Europe until next spring.
The allies are unable to use other
cereals alone for bread. They can use
them only as added to wheat flour to
make the war bread now In universal
use In European countries. Except
in Italy, whose people normally con-
sumo much corn, our allies have few
corn mills ana cOrnmeal Is not dur
able commodity and therefore cannot
be shipped in great quantities. More
over, for generations they have bought
bread from bakeries; they have no
equipment nor do they know how to
bake in the household. Every Ameri-
can knows that 1t Is infeasible to dis
tribute corn bread from bakeries, and
1t Is therefore necessary for us to fur
dish our allies with sufficient wheat to
enable them to have wheat basis for
the loaf. However, they can use and
mist use other cereals for mixture In
their war bread, and by this substitu-
ton and by savings on their part a
great deal can be accomplished. On
the other hand, deficit Of 100000, 900
bushels can be at least partially over
come II we can Increase our exports
from ss,OOO,OOO to 22O,OOO,OO0, or near
~ triple. This can be accomplished
II we will substitute one pound Of 9TH
er cereals for one pound Of wheat
flour weekly per person; that Is, IL
we reduce our consumption Of wheat
-four from FIVE pounds per week to
four pounds per week ger person. It
will be no privation to us and will re
duce the priyation Of our allies.