The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-11-13
SUGAR SHORTAGE AbhTEDBY ARAiY SUPPLY RELEASE Reserve of 5O,OOO,OOO Pounds Sold to Relieve
 Famine. HIGH PRICES ARE NOT FAULT OF WAR OFFICE Material Sold to France By Sales Committees Brings
 Good Prices.

Washington, U. C-, NOV. IS.-1n the controversy over the living cost and particularly the sugar shortage the country is now undergoing it has de- veloped that the country might have been in an actual sugar famine sev- eraI weeks ago, but for the efforts of the War Department which has re- leased more than 5O,0OO,000 pounds of sugar for sale to the public during the last few months. As a result the army is now existing on a reserve of less than two and one-half months supply and every soldier from the chief Of staff to the buck privates is having his sugar supply rationed. The normal sugar reserve of the army Is at least three months supply and usually nearer six months supply, but the Department has cut this way be- low normal to meet the civil de- mands.
 Anticipating a possible recurrence this year of a sugar shortage in the early fall at the end of the preserving season, Secretary of War Baker had a special survey of the army supply made early in the summer and de- termined that about twenty-five thous- and tons of the army reserve could be released in an emergency. This sugar was released through the Unit ed States Sugar equalization board as the demand for it was felt, in sev- eraI large lots, in spite of the anxie- ties expressed my many army of fcers. Had it not been for these re- leases from the army's stock to pup- lie use 1t is declared the public would have felt the shortage much sooner and the present shortage would have been considerably more acute than it actually is.
 This development is regarded as important here in view of the recent attempts to lay on the shoulders of the war department the blame for the present high living cost. Through publicity enanating from the par tisan Congressional War Investigat- ing committees it has been charged that the Secretary of War and the selling force of the War Department had deliberately connived to boost the living cost.
 From information coming from the office of the director of army sales in France and also from the Parker selling commission in Paris it is evil dent that any sales made to France were made on a purely commercial basis with the purpose of driving the best commercial bargain possible in getting rid of surplus war material on the other side that could not have been practically brought back to this country.
 The sales department of the army has got rid to date of approximately 3 billion dollars worth of surplus war material, that the army would never have use for under peace time cir cumstances. On these sales 1t has realized a recovery of about 75 per nf of +1a terial, estimated as an extremely high percentage of recovery. The Hare com mission, which has also been the subject of partisan attack, went to France and has thus far succeeded in making some excellent arrangements for the sale of surplus war materials for which there was no market on this side. This commission has been principally engaged in finding a mar ket in industrially reviving Europe for materials chiefly of an industrial character, such as cotton lnters, ma chine tools and other articles which had been produced in this country to continue the war emergency produc- tiOn scale and build it to it's maximum efficiency. With the country revert ing to a peace time industrial basis it was found that the American in dustrial plants were already over stocked with the equipment author ized for sale abroad. This commits sion was specifically instructed, not to sell any staples that could be used in this country as a help toward driving down the cost of living.
 The Parker commission in Paris, under the direction of Judge Alton B. Parker was assigned to dispose of the docks, manufacturers, storage plants and equipment and supplies of the American army in Europe. It is es- timated that about $15O,0OO worth of material was disposed of in smaller lots and about $50,00O,0OO worth of supplies in Belgium were sold to Belgium. Then an arrange ment was made with the French Gov ernment for the sale of the remaining stock in bulk lot at a price of $4O0, 100000. To arrange the sale it was required by the French interests that all remaining supplies be includ- ed in the sale, so that 1t was imprac- ticab to take out the small uuant1- ties of staples that might a that time have been brough back to the United States, for there was considerable objection on the part of the French to taking our supplies off from our hands at all and there was an in ternal commercial fight in France over the purchase or these supplies, It is believed, however, that a fair ly successful arrangement was made through this sale to the French Gov ernment.
 There remains in the army surplus approximately a billion dollars worth of material and equipment of various characters, a great quantity of it raw material that will have to go through production before it is ready for use for consumption. Through the release of this material and through disposal abroad of material for which there was no market on this side production has been stimu- lated in this country, making the la i bor market 1rmer, and thus avoid = any great era of unemployment,
 !ch was predicted for this country Lut never materiaHzed through the demobilization of the armed forces However, the people who watch the | newspaper advertisement have all l