The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1918-02-01
AMERICAN SUGAR
SENT To FRANCE
American Price Rigidly Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY Sc.
Sugar Cost 35 Cents Pound During
Civil War-Refiner' Profits
Now Curtailed.

Sugar Is selling today throughout
America at from S1a to 3 cents
pound to the consumer, even though
there is a world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
to 10 per cent. Of normal
Through the efforts Of the United
] States food administration the sugar
] market has been regulated as far as
the producer, refiner and wholesaler
Is concerned. The food administration
has no power to regulate retail prices
except by public opinion. Even though
more than, $4,000 tons Of sugar have
been shipped to France in the last
four months the retail grocer's sugar
price is around s to S1s cents. He
should sell this sugar at S1a to
cents, the food administration believes,
and asks the American housewife to
pay no more than this amount.
Last August when the food admin
istration was organized the price or
sugar rose suddenly to IL cents a
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 35 cents poune.
BY regulation of the sugar market and
reducing the price to S1s and cents
and keeping 1t from advancing to 20
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
100000 In four months, according to
q statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day.
att ia our sterr duty to feed the al
lies, to maintain their health ana
strength at any cost to ourselves"
Mr.. Hoover declared. "There has not
been, nor will be as we see it, enough
!. sugar. for even their present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send
ships to remote markets for It IL we
In our greed and gluttony force them
either to further reduce their ration
or to send these ships we will have
done damage to our abilities to WIZ
this war.
"lf we send the ships to Java
for 25o, 900 tons Of sugar next year
we will have necessitated the en1-
pIoynnent of eleven extra ships fer
one year. These ships-if used In
transporting troops--wouid take
o,ooo to 10000 men to France"
Reason for World Shortage.
AS Mr.. Hoover pointed out, the
United States, Canada and England
were sugar importing countries before
he war, while France and Italy were |
Ay nearly self supporting. The main
ces Of the worlds sugar supply
cas Germany and neighboring powers,
the West Indies and the East Indies.
German sugar Is no longer available,
as Il Is used entirely In Germany,
which also absorbs sugar Of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 1,400, 900
long tons Of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from $4,000 to 21o,-
600 tons. The Italian production has
fallen from 210,OO0 tons to $1,000 tons.
Thus three countries were thrown
uDon East and West Indian sources
for 1925, 900 tens annually to maintain
their normal consumption.
Because of the worlds shipping
shortage the allied nations started
drawing on the West Indies for sugar;
East Indian sugar took three times
the number Of ships, since the dis
fance was three times as great. Sud
denly the west was called on to FUR
nisl, and did furnish 1,420.000 tons or
sugar to Europe when 100000 tons a
wear was the pre-war demand. The
allies had drawn from Java 4OO,eoO
toms before the shipping situation be-
came acute.
.In spite OF these shipments" Mr..
Hoover stated the other day. "the
Fnplfsh government In August reduced
tbe household sugar ration 10 basis
of "a pounds per annum per capita.
And In September the French govern
ment reduced their household ration
eo1s 90 pounds year,lor bit over
/. Mound OF sugar a month. Even this
rneagre ration could not be filed by
4he French government(it was found
eerly In the fall. America was then
eelxed for 100 900 tons of sugar and
~ncceedsd In sending 5000 tons by
necember /. The French request was
,-y.nted because the American house
6oId consumption was then at least 90
s,onnds. IN Der person, and i was consid-
Ssed ia duty Of maintaining the
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