New-York tribune., 1919-08-24
United States Likely To
Be Compelled to Divert
Ships From Other Trade
to Meet This New Demand
Adds to Food Problem
England Doing What She
Can, but That Is Far
[ From Present Needs
By Theodore NJ. Knappen
Men fork Tribune
Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON, Aug 2s.~Coal and
shipping men here to-day united in the
statement that coal has succeeded food
as the primary factor upon which the
economic and, perhaps. the political
future of Europe Immediately depends.
They say Herbert Hoover did not un-
derestimate the gravity of the situa-
tion in his cabled remarks of to-day
on the coal situation in Central Eu-
rope; that, rather, he touched only one
phase of the subject
So great is the need of all Europe
for coal that high government official
said to-day that he would not be sur
prised if President Wilson should use
his war power control of the emer-
gency fleet to divert large part of it's
tonnage to carrying coal to Europe.
France, Italy, Holland, Denmark and the
Scandinavian countries, as well as the
Central Powers, are in need of coal to
a degree that cannot be appreciated in
this country. Australia and Eng
land are trying to obtain coal from the
United States. Rome and Paris are
being supplied with gas made from
American coal. and South American
railways are running on it,
England in Bad Way
On account of decreased production
England is able to supply to the coun-
tries that formerly depended on her
only fraction of the coal lV thew REQUIRE on ire
She is hard put to it to keep her bunk
ers supplied around the world. AS her
shipping prosperity depends on fuel
ling her merchant marine, the supply
ing of the bunkers is her first consid-
Grafton.
The next consideration with England
is to send coal TO coalless South Amer
lea IN return for her immense pur-
chases of foodstutfs there.
What she can spare is going to the
continent of Europe, but it is only a
drop in the bucket compared with the
requirements.
The United States is the only coun
try In the world that has coal for ex-
port in any considerable volume, but
this source is limited by the shortage
OF ocean shipping and by the available
supply of the best grades of gas and
steam coal, which, on account of the
enormous freight rates, European buy
ers. insist on having. The average
freight rate on coal to European ports
Is 9Zo a ton, as compared with q cost
OF about $3.50 at the water.
AS Builder of Trade
There IS strong tendency to send
surplus coal to South America rather
than to Europe, as it can be used as
powerful instrumentalty in build
ing up American trade in that part of
the world The cold business view Of
the situation prompts American ex-
porters to take advantage Of the situa-
ton and instead Of sending coal to
Europe, where it is bitterly needed,
send it to South America, which can
no longer get coal from England The
lack of coal, therefore, is not onlv
causing England great concern at home
and for her neighbors in Europe, but
IS likely seriously to impair her for
eign trade.
1t is estimated that there are now
100000 deadweight tons of shipping,
American and foreign, engaged in the
coal trade between the United States
and foreign countries. OF this amount
the Shipping Board fleet, the wooden
ships being conspicuous in this trade.
Even this great feet however, is not
able to carry anywhere near as much
coal as is needed, because of the great
length of time required to make a
round trip, which averages about
seventy-fve days, so that it takes two
inolitiS ana HalI 10 get 4,VUU,UUU
tons across the ocean with the whole
coal fleet steadily in service.
If the United States should divert
any more ships to the coal trade it
would seriously interfere with general
commerce, which already, for other
causes. begins to show tendency to
decline. The world is still short of
ships. But it is believed that the
counpy's oft-tried international altru-
ism will soon be put to the test of an
other sacrifice for the benefit of the
Old World. 1t will not be asked to
appropriate money to buy coal for Eu-
rope, as it was to buy food last win
ter, but it probably will be asked to
divert hundreds of ships from more
profitable and commercially more bene-
fetal uses.
Europe, roughly speaking, now has
food enough bat lacks the coal with
which to transport it and to give the
employment with the wages OF which
it may be purchased; so that her food
problem is still unsolved. American
coal is declared to be the only solu-
tion