The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-15
EXPLAINS BIG ARMY
MEAT SALE ABROAD
Baker Denies Attempt to Sus-
tain Prices in This
Country.
q ~
CANS ARE NOT LABELLED
Are Of Size and Type Not Used
in Ordinary Commerce
Here.
CANS ARE NOT LABELLED

WASHINGTON, May 1i.-Secretary
Baker denied to-day there was any re-
lstion between any attempt 20 support
the prices Of meat supplies in this coun-
try and the tentative ARRANGEMENT
reached by representatives Of the War
Department and the packing industry
for the disposal abroad of $50. 600. 900
pounds Of canned meats. The Depart
ment announced a few days ago that
this stock, amounting to the normal out
put of American packing companies for
two years, would not be placed on the
American market.
There has been misapprehensior
with regard 10 the policy Of the De.
partment in dlsposing of meat supplies. -
said the Secretary. The meats in ques-
ton are specially prepared products, in
special containers and Of q kind never
sold commercially In the United States
: roast beef and especially sailed pork
which are not articles of ordinary COM
merclal trade here.
Cans Are Not Labelled.
''The cans are not even labelled The
question Of disposint OF these supplies
is not one OF maintaining price levels
the War Department has no interest in
that-but of finding sope way to dis
pose Of them.
80 much OF the supplies as are OF
the ordinary commercial kind, which
people recognize, we are selling in the
United States In any way in which we
can prevent speculation. But especially
prepared army supplies such as seven
pound cans of roast beef and things OF
that sort are not known 10 the COM
mercial and buying public and they
would not be available for ordinary
q commerce here.
II have talked the whole question over
with the sales director and there are
a number or questions to be solved
Some products. for instance, by repackine
IN new tins and being labeled could Do
fesold in the United States. There Is
q possibility that we may be able to dis.
pose of substantial quantities of food
supplies in instances where bulk pur.
chases are made. All avenues will bs
sought and so far as possible food and
clothing will be sold in this country.
There has been no agreement with
the meat packers with regard TO the dis.
tribution Of meat supplies, but they have
suggested that the most practical thine
would be to sell these supplies to Eu'
rope instead Of disposing OF them in thit
country because of the fact that they
are packed for transportation across the
ocean. In this way II would not b.
necessary for the packers to prepare
other food for transportation while the
present supply is being distributed IN
this country
Sales of SSO,OOO,O0O Made.
Sales of surplus subsistence supple.
held by the army overseas have totallet
S50,0oo,o00, the War Department an
nounced to-day. the American RELIEF
Commission taking goods valued at $40.
900. 900; the Czecho- slovak Government
s16.000.o00: Rumania, 314, 100000, and
Poland, $40, 100000. The sales include
100000 pounds OF bacon to the thre'
Governments named
Announcement also was made that Oh,
department would sell by July all th'
horses and mules now with the army II
France and that negotiations were under
way for the sale OF oil and gasolen'
storage tanks and distributing stations
with the railroad tank cars and tsnl
trucks used by the A. L. r. In France.
Surplus war materials to the value o
$4,000. 900 were sold during the weel
ended May 0. The Ordnance Depart
ment disposed OF large quantities o
ammonium nitrate to the Department o
Agriculture and the allied nitrate com
mission for conversion into dynamite
which will be used largely in clearing
land for agricultural purposes and in tn
construction Of roads.
In announcing to-day the weeks sales
the Department said the average prlc
received on all sales represented IS pc
cent. Of the original cost Of the material