New-York tribune., 1919-09-29
Europe Is Warned
To Help Prevent
Big Coal Shortage
Nations Must Not Depend
ON American Shipping
Alone to Carry Fuel to
Distressed, Says Board
Netp York Tribune
Washington, Bureau


WASHINGTON, Sept. 49, - All
Europe will suffer acute coal shortage
unless vessels Of foreign nations now
to J. II. Rosseter, director Of the di-
verted to the transportation of coal
from the United States, the Shipping
Board announced to-day in care
fully prepared analysis Of the export
fuel situation.
In report submitted by II. Y. Saint,
head of the export coal department,
to J. Ii. Rosseter, director of the Ii
vision of operations of the Shipping
Board, notice is served on European
countries that American vessels are in
adequate to meet all the demands for
coal in Europe. In analzng the situa-
tion the report says in part:
"ltaly is practically the only Eu-
ropean government which is extensively
using its own vessels in carrying coal
from the United States for Italian re-
lief. In July twenty Italian vessels
sailed from American ports with coal.
You will notice that Norwegian, Brit
ish and Greek ships were plying
in the Italian trade. which to-day is
considered n profitable one. At the
same time the Shipping Board was hav-
ing demands made upon it to carry
coal to Greece, Switzerland and the
scandinavian countries as well as to
South America.
Denmark Asks Help
"Heavy demands arc being made
upon the Shipping Board to carry coal
to Denmark. Our tabulation shows
g., hot no ict,
coal to Denmark, but a number of
Danish ships are carrying coal from
American ports to South America.
which is a profitable trade when the
return cargo situation is taken into
account.
at will be noted that Norwegian and
Italian vessels are under charter to
carry coal to Gibraltar, when the needs
in their own countries are great.
Large demands have been made
to the Netherlands, and during July
seventeen American vessels sailed from
American ports to that country. Dur
ing the same period only three Dutch
shps carried coal to their home ports
while one Norwegian and two Swedish
vessels were in the Dutch coal trade.
on the Shipping Board to carry coal to
Sweden, and as many as eleven steam
ships have sailed in one month for that
country. Yet Swedish steamships in
that trade have not exceeded one a
month
Plea to European Shipping
with the increasing demand upon
America to supply coal for Europe and
to carry it in American bottoms. and
with all the demands predcated upon
the increasing distress in various F,u
ropcan countries, it would seem that
immediate steps must be taken to bring
about an effort on the part OF the va
rous countries to help themselves in
tins matter of coal distribution"
France, Belgium. Holland Italy. Den
mark, Norway, Sweden. Spain and
SwitzerIand. it is said, face serious
shortage. The total coal requirements
OF thc world next winter are placed at
J 9,5l 900 tons, Of which 97T23. 600
tons can be supplied by countries other
than the United States. That would
leave Sl.lSS, 900 tons to be furnished
by this country. MI Saint estimates
that there viii be furnished 1926 600
tons, leaving a shortage in the worlds
coal bin Of g. 900 tons. tonnage
sufficient to supply the New England
state for nearly three years.