New-York tribune., 1919-07-28
Smoked and Canned Meats
Worth $9O,OOO,OO Held
in Storage by Army, Says
Acting Director of Sales
$4,000, 900 Lbs of Sugar
Exact Figures on All Sup
plies Cannot Be Given Be-
cause of Accounting Plan
Netr York Tribune


WASHINGTON, July 27.-The War
Department (oes not know the total of
the various kinds of surplus army food
stutfs it has to sell to the American
people. 1t could find out only after
five days work by corps of account
ants, and then the total would not be
correct, because large quantities would
have been sold in the meantime in the
thirteen supply zones.
This is the fact of the matter, Colo
mel CORTLAND Nixon, acting director of
storage, said to-day in response to per
sistent inquiries on the total quanti-
ties of surplus subsistence supplies to
be Sold
The War Department keeps its sur
plus supply accounts in such detail
that it is impossible to give approx
mate amounts of various commodities
on short notice, Colonel Nixon said. 1t
took four days to find out for the
United States Sugar Equalization Board
that the total surplus of sugar was ap-
proximately 100000 pounds
Some Figures in Money
E. c. Morse, acting director of sales,
announced to-day that compilations in
money values had shown that on July
19 surplus subsistence stocks amounted
to 1925, ,889,947. These stocks include
the following commodities:
Dried fruit and vegetables ... STATS. 22s
Smoked and canned meats. ..... 903S4 226
Fresh meat and poultry. ........ 33S1,671
Canned vegetables ............ 12,342.442
Cereals ................ 1085 889
Hard bread, crackers and -''''''''
macaroni Observation-Disclosures. S1O,719
Total Observation-Disclosures. $11O,4s3 9 IS
~ Miscellaneous food supplies brought
the total above $125, 100000. Since
July 19 some additional surpluses have
been declared and some previously de-
clared have been withdrawn. Mr.
Morse's figures were based on the cost
of these supplies to the government.
Total sales of foodstuffs, officially
and verbally reported, amount, Mr..
Morse said, to s26,o0O,OOO. Since the
July 10 compilation $2,5OO,o0O worth of
vegetables have been sold, but still are
undelivered
Double Amount Reported
These figures show that sales of
foodstuffs have been more than double
the total of $12,000,0O0 reported to the
House committee now investigating
the Quartermaster Division, and in
cluded by that committee in its report
to be submitted to the House on Mon
day.
In anticipation of orders from Secre-
tarry Baker to devise new system of
selling army foods to the people as a
result Of the resolution of the House
committee, the surplus property divi-
sion has begun work on new plans.
Selling to municipalities in carload lots
was found to be unsatisfactory because
many cities are restrained by their
charters from engaging in such trans
actions. The new plan is said to
contemplate the establishment Of retail
distributing points by the War Depart
ment in the principal cities, a thing
Secretary Baker has previously said
was impossible.
The War Department would have
figures showing the amounts of various
kinds of foodstuffs on hand, Colonel
Nixon explained, if a policy of selling
these supplies in great quantities to
wholesalers had been adopted.