The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-26
SUGAR SHORTAGE
DUE TO SHIPMENTS
TO OUR ALLIES
Food Administrator Hoover's Statement,
Which Was Denied Admission to
Congressional Record, Was
Made Public By White
House.

Washington, Dec. 26.-Food Admins
ltrator Hoover's statement on the sugar
situation, which he tried unsuccessfully
to get before the Senate committee in
vestigating the sugar shortage, was made
public last night by the White House. II
attributes the shortage here to the heavy
movement of sugar from the western
hemisphere to Europe, and asserts that
without the fixing of prices by agree
ment sugar would have been selling for
25 or 30 cents a pound and more than
$200,000,000 probably would have been
| profiteered from the people by this time,
The statement contains the food ad
ministrator's reply to the charge made
before the committee by Claus Spreckels,
president of the Federal Refining COM
pony that the sugar situation was mis-
managed and sets forth in detail the ad-
minstration's efforts to keep sugar prices
down while supplying large quantities
to the allies.
is chairman, not only had refused to
make the statement part of the Con-
gressional Record, but has declined thus
to answer Spreckes' charges. When the
hearing is resumed Friday, however, It
is understood Mr. Hoover will be per-
mitted to tell his story.
At the outset the statement presents
the world sugar situation as it existed
prior to the European war The allies
then produced much of their own sup
plies and purchased the remainder from
Germany. Before the war they took |
only 100000 tons annually from the
western hemisphere, This year they have
taken 100000 tons.
THAT" says the food administration,
lis the cause of the sugar shortage; and
nothing else"
The statement says the food admins
tration has handled the situation with a
view to sustaining the morale of France
and England, where the sugar ration has
been extremely low for months, and at
he same time preventing jump in price
20 90 or 25 cents here.
Since the food administration was ere.
tied in August, the United States has
exported to the allies ll0,356 tons of re-
ined sugar and in the same period Cuba
las shipped to Europe 246,l33 tons Of
aw product. This, it is declared, is Just
he amount of the shortage in the Unit
d States.
Even with these shipments it is point
d out the supply in England and France
as been inadequate. The consumption
a England has been reduced to "a pounds u
year for each person and in France !
0 Ia pounds, against a consumption in
lmerica of So pounds.
The shortage, the food administrator .
eclares, will continue during next year
8 it is the duty of the United States a
D continue to feed the allies.
Next year" he says, "our supplies y
III be short 100000 to 100000 tons un- 7
ss the allies go to Java for supplies. n
his amounts to an economy OF about 10 d
sr cent on our part If the allies x
e forced to go to Java ii will require u
! extra amount of shipping which If 3
sed to transport troops will move l50,-
NJ or 100000 American soldiers to
rance.
IF statements that there will be an
)undance of sugar next year are be- 7,
eyed by the American public it win do :
lis country's war efforts incalculable
'rm. The number of troops we can
nd across is limited. If we in our greed &C
I'd gluttony force the allies either to pc
duce their ration or go TO remote In
arkets after sugar we will have done v,
emendous damage to our abilities to IL
in the war oe
Charges that the food administration
s permitted sugar stocks to remain In
rts OF the country unmoved are de-
ed as are statements that sugar was
i IN Cuba while an effort was made w
beat down Cuban prices IS