Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-19
Earl d. Babst.

which the world produces in billions
of pounds yearly, could become so
scarce that folks would be asked by
the government and the sugar re-
iiners to use it sparingly. But the
war. which has brought about many
extraordinary conditions, also upset
the worlds sugar bowl.
Today, everybody is interested in
sugar. The housewife is eager to
know when sugar will be more plenti-
full. And from a different point of
view, the business man is following
the sugar situation, interested in the
success OF the plan adopted as an
emergency war measure by the gov
ernlnents of the-United States and the
Allies to regulate and control supply,
demand and price.
These facts lend particular impor-
lance to the following interview with
Earl ID. Babst head of the American
Sugar Refining Company and one of
the three United States members of
the international Sugar Committee.
Not SO many years ago, it wasn't
the popular custom for men in Mr..
Babst's position to discuss their bust
ness with the public. But Mr.. Babst
is of the rev school of Big Business
managers who believes the public is
entitles to knew all about it.
More Sugar Soon.
In the interview Mr.. Babst covered
every phase of the sugar situation.
First, he spoke Of the prospects of the
immediate future, which most con-
Germs the housewife. Said he:
Sugar viii soon be more plentiful
with the new crop of sugar cane be-
ing harvested in Cuba and Porto Rico
Everything is favorable to a sufficient
supply for our needs. but not enugh
to use sugar extravagantly or waste
fully. There must be no overbuying
or boarding"
"And what about the price?" he was
asked.
Ordinarily the so-called law of sup
ply and demand is a most important
factor in regulating the price Of sugar
as of every other commodity. But this
law has been more or less, if not en-
tirely, suspended as the result of the
control of the sugar situation by the
act Of six governments, including our
own.
"All during the war sugar in the
United States has been lower in price,
taking the average yearly price, than
anywhere else in the world. Today,
comparing sugar on the basis of
caloric food value, it is one of the
cheapest foods
Sugar Prices To Drop.
After the new supplies are. received
from Cuba and refined, and prices are
lowered under the proposals Of the
Food Administration. sugar will be one
of the cheapest, if not the cheapest,
foods to go on the American table. .
Mr.. Babst agrees with Mr.. Hoover
that if the Allied nations had not en-
tered into joint agreement to conserve
the available sugar supply, the price
to the consumer would have scared.
Said he in explanation:
1.-THE facts are these: Europe's pro-
duction of sugar was not only greatly
eurtailed when the opposing armies
swarmed over the sugar beet fields Of
northern France and Belgium, but
England and other foreign countries
We're forced to turn to other sources
for sugar The logical source was
Cuba, from which the United States
gets the bulk Of its cane sugar
This developed competition which,
until the international agreement was
reached. caused a serious advance in
price beth OF raw and refined sugar.
But with the International Committee
acting for the Allies and the Food Ad-
ministration in control in this country,
the supply win be equally distributed
and prices stabilized.
10 Ships For Java.
Great quantities Of raw cane sugar
are locked up in PARKWAY Java, I'M
available because ships cannot be
spared to transport it. Hence the Eu-
ropean Allies are asking Cuba and the
United States as a practical patriotic
duty to supply them with sugar. The
United States is making every effort
to comply with this request for the
very interesting reason that If, we
save the Allies from the necessity OF
transporting 100000 tons of sugar
from Java, it viii release shipping suf-
fcient TO carry about 200, 900 American
soldiers to France.
When Mr.. Babsf voluntarily ap-
~, y.e,s7 xx, o4J.a,. xx-x,ol~ ,e,fr~a Tho Con