Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-10
COFFEE SHORTAGE
HERE RAISES PRICE
Supply in U. S. Is Only 20 Per
Cent of Amount on Hand
a Year Ago.
MAY LAST FOR YEARS

Actual supplies 81 Brazilian coffee
in the United States at this time are
about 100000 bags. At this time last
year supplies in New York and New
Orleans totaled nearly 1000. 900 bags.
These figures are given by the Latin
American division of the bureau of
foreign and domestic commerce. De
partment Of Commerce. The fact
that coffee supplies actually in the
country al this time amount only ("
about 20 per cent of the stocks on
hand a year ago is given by officials
OF the bureau as one of the princi-
pal rea sons for steadily rising retail
prices OF coffee.
According to the bureaus most
recent figures the actual visible sup
ply of Brazilian coffee for the United
States is LAPS, SEQ bags. as compared
with 2.339.555 bags year ago. o.
this visible supply the greater portion
Expect Small Crops in Brazil.
United States consular officers IN
correspondence with the bureau OF
foreign and domestic commerce re-
port that coffee crops in Brazil this
year will be very small. Even those
planters who believed their trees had
escaped injury from frosts now find
that they will have little or no coffee
to pick. these correspondents write.
as cold winds that preceded the frosts
played havoc with all plantations
AS Brazil furnishes practically ss
per cent OF the worlds supplies OF
lower grade coffees. the seriousness
of this situation. officials assert. read
lily can be seen.
Reasons for Price Increase.
Good qualities of coffee in Santos.
dentedly high. according to reports
of consular officers.
Reasons for the unheard-of high
prices. according to officials. aside
from practical loss of crops due to
weather conditions. are the valori-
zation plan OF the Brazilian govern
| ment. which guaranteed planters a fixed
| price for their coffee, and reopening
| Of foreign markets. Blockades. trade
| restrictions. operations of the U-boats
during the war. Reserve supplies
in all countries concerned in the war
as actual belligerents. as well as in
neutral countries. such as Norway
weden, Denmark and particularly
Holland. is causing tremendous de-
mand now that hostiIities have ceased
Holland, perhaps the largest con-
sumner of coffee among European
| countries, is in the market for sew
eral million bags for speedy delivery
| the other countries making further
! serious inroads on available supplies
Condition Not Temporary.
Bad weather conditions during the
last two coffee growing seasons. Off
Gals assert. damaged plantations to
such an extent that the effect is
bound to be felt for the next four or
| FIVE years at the least Possibility ex-
| lists that recovery of the trees or
quick maturity of new plantations
| may operate to bring BraziIs coffee
production up to normal ahead of ex-
pectations, but such a contingency is
not expected.
I'm the face of all these unfavorable
conditions" said an official of the bu-
reau Of foreign and domestic COM
merce today. steadily rising retail
prices of coffee in this country may
| confidently be expected for some
years. Making all due allowances for
| the point Of view of men in the coffee
| trade, there still remains ample
grounds for the belief that better
grades of coffee may go up to so cents
or 81 pound within the next few
| months"