The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-09-09
SAYS U. S. COAL
EXPORTS WILL
NOT STINT US
America Could Well Afford to
Export Even Greater Ton.
mage, Asserts Official ~
WORLDWIDE SHORTAGE OF
100000 TONS, lie SAYS
All Europe Demanding CoaI-We Are
Not lnjuring Home Consum-
ers in Satisfying It,
Declares Witness

Washington, (SpeciaD American
coal producers, seeking to, relieve a
worldwide shortage, are not sending
coal abroad in sufficient volume to de-
prive the American consumer in the
opinion of H. Y. Saint head of the
shipping boards export department, a
witness before athe Senate sub-com
mittee conducting an inquiry into the
coal situation, headed by Senator
Frelinghuysen of New Jersey.
Mr.. Saint submitted to the COM
mittee the shipping boards official es-
innate of the extent of the worldwide
coal shortage totalling 62,463 900 tons,
most of which, if made up, he said,
presumably must be made up by the
United States" Exclusive of ship
ments to Canada, the United States is
exporting coal, he said, at the rate of
about 100000 tons year. This is a
little more than one per cent of the
total amount of bituminous coal pro-
duced in the country for year.
According to Mr.. Saints figures
Canada will need about 1858 900
tons, France 100000 tons, Belgium
100000 tons, which may be reduced
later as Belgium is rapidly restoring
her mines, the Netherlands S,000,000
tons, China 3,135, 900 tons, Italy 5,000.-
| 900 tons, Sweden, Norway and other
| countries many millions more to help
| supply the needs of these and other
| countries, Mr.. Saint stated, the Ship
ping Board has allocated the coal
| trade 1914 American ships of 929,6S4
| lightweight tons as follows: In the
| Swedish trade S5.111 tons, to Swift
zerland and the Netherlands 235, 633
tons. to Denmark 1000 tons, Italy
los, SOB tons, France 13S,3S0 tons,
South America 207 ,512 tons There
was included in these figures, he
said, 1896 tons in the coastwise OF
New England trade, which would have
to be deduced from the total tonnage
| leaving approximately SIS, 900 tons
engaged in the overseas transporta-
ton of coal
These figures represented only
shipping board vessels, he said. Oh
about thirty per cent of the total
"The export coal trade so far this
year." Mr.. Saint said, lis running {
little behind the export trade of las
year owing to the dropping down D
the Canadian trade But the foreign
trade has fhcreased over last year
BY the time this year is up we viii
have exported, l think, about sever
million TONS"
So great was the dearth of Goa
abroad, Mr. Saint associated, that de
mand had come from practically ever,
European country including the Brit
ish Isles, heretofore the chief Goa
exporting nation of the world. Eng
lands inability to produce coal in pre-
war quantities, he thought, was pri
marily responsible for the increase
demand on the bituminous coal pro
ducers of the United States.
Her exports have dropped from IT,
100000 tons of coal a year." he sale
ito $4,000 900 tons. It was the un
derstanding that England was to TAX
care of the Canadian situation. be
lieve that conclusion was reached i
Paris during the economic conferenc
there. But England has RADICAL
failed to take care of the Italian sill
uation. Italian imports of coal befor
the war were 100000 tons aInuall,
: Last year England sent Italy 1000, 90
tons and this year, up to date, she
doing very little better. This leave
from 100000 to 100000 tons to /
supplied later by other nations an
we are practically the only natio
that can supply her that coal"
Are we relieving England at OF
expense?" Senator Frelinghuysen.
IF you mean expense in the san
of taking coal that should go to oil
own people" replied Mr.. Saint, 81
not believe. that sufficient coal is q
ing abroad to particularly injure oil
domestic situation. If you look
our foreign shipments as a deveioI
ment of legitimate foreign trad
which will mean very great de
to this country in future years,
think we can well send what we a
sending now, and considerably nor
abroad at this time"
Mr. Saint said, Eve are trying
distribute our tonnage equitab
among the countries that need coal