The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-10-22
CONTINUE LOANS
 TO THE ALLIES
By HOLLAND

New York, October 21.-(Speeial)- When the suggestion was made to Secre- i tary McAdoo by some Of those who are l considering the revenue bill which is now before the senate that there be consid- erable curtailment hereafter of our loans to the allies the secretary instantly re- piled that this should not be done. It is vital to the success of the cause and probably to that of readjustment condi- tions after the war. that the United States continue to advance credit or funds to the allies.
 Undoubtedly the secretary had in mind
 for one thing the imperative demand which will be made hereafter upon the
 United States for food as well as TOT
 implements and munitions of war An unprecedented situation is now reported
 to have been created in the unlteo States by reason of the fact that we are feeding entirely or in part 4oooo,oVo peo- pie more than the number of the lhhao- itants of the United States For Ill order
 to make good the shipment of food to the armies and to the peoples across the sea with whom we are in alliance, it has been necessary for the United states to
 become an importer upon great scale or food. We have been searching the world for various kinds of food or raw mate rial which can be. converted into iooa with which we may make up the deficit in our own supply of foodstuffs.
 If has been found necessary to export the best quality of grain, usually in the form of flour, and also the pest quaHty of meats. For instance, we sent abroau in the F months which ended on June 90 nearly 40o,0oo000 pounds of fresh beer. Before the war some alarm was felt lest
 there be such falling off in the produc- tion of beef in the United states that we would be compelled to import peer carcases from other parts or the Worlu' as. in fact, we did from Argentina. In the F months which preceded the De- ginning of the war we were able to sen to other nations only 6,000,O00 pounds or beef But efficiency was prompt and so sufficient that it was possible to meet the extraordinary demand from our al- lies and our army for fresh peei' AT most all meat products were exported Ill
 increasing quantities in the last iscal year and it is inevitable that there be larger export of food or thls kihd III
 the present fiscal year.
 AS IT IS WITH SUGAR
 Many times people wonder why it has been found necessary to 'HooVerl2e SUI
 gar But the simple fact that Ill the wear ending June 30 last we sent abroad nearly 6O0, ,0O0000 pounds of sugar, where as formerly if we exported as much as 30, ,oOo. GOO pounds that was regarded as an astonishing amount, explains why 1t has been found necessary greatly to curtail the use of sugar.
 For at least a year from this time Eng land in part, France m cohsioerapie measure, Russia in a great measure ana some of the other nations Will De com pelled to reply upon the United states for food. They must await the harvest ing of the crops of next summer, even though the war be soon ended, before 1t is known how large demand Is to De made upon the United States for food commodities.
 Of course these enormous purchases or food, whether grain, flour or meat products, must be paid for practically
 upon the spot. Therefore, 1t is necessary
 for the United States to continue US
 loans to other nations even though the
 war should be ended within few months. On the other hand we have
 been trying to get from all parts Of the
 world commodities that will be avail able for food, so that what we lack ot our choice food products because so much of them has been sent abroad can De made up by commodities available tor food obtained in various parts Of the world For instance. we are importing unheard- of amounts of tapioca and are receiving it not only from the tropical countries south of us but from Africa and the far east We imported from China in the twelve months ending June 30 nearly 100000 pounds of eggs, some of which were dried and some frozen. Be- fore the war our imports of this kind were comparatively small Japan sent to us in the past fiscal year nearly 50e,- coo. .oOO pounds of rice, yet we thought a few years ago that the United States would be able to grow and harvest all the rice the American people needed. Can