The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-05
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC }. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington, D. G.
WHEAT, THE HUNGER KILLER.


! food structure of the non-oriental
world, and the supply of it determines
largely whether western nations are
to be well OF poorly fed. Most of the
wheat is raised in the western hemis-
phere. and the crop is at present 50
| far advanced that reliable estimates
/ of it can be made. And it is certain
the wheat crop is to be abundant.
From Manda1ay to saskatchewan,
from Finland to Colorado, the reports
are unvaryingly excellent as the
threshing season rapidly approa ches
The United States is the greatest
wheat producing country in the world.
| Her position is now more clearly
without a rival than before the war
when Russia was an active COMPETE
tor in all markets.
: The United States is to nave a near
/ bumper crop. During the five years
I that preceded the war period the aver
! age crop here was 6S7. 100000 bushels
During the war, under the stimulant
of government encoura cement and
/ nigh prices. the average yield was
| 22,0O0.000 bushels. The latest fore
cast of the crop now being harvested
made by the bureau Of crop estimates,
! is $4,000 900 bushels. So it becomes
evident that We are to have war time
yield to meet a peace time need.
Farmers Make. Good.
This crop is a magnificent accom-
plishment. Turnout the wheat belt
the fields are yielding sturdy average
acre returns, crops that are not I'M
usually heavy but are generally good
and uniform. Early in the season
there were varying influences mitigat-
| ing against a heavy yield, but condi-
tions have continued to improve right
up to the harvest season and the fore
casts have grown constantly more
optimistic
The contribution that the United
~
I to the wheat rationing of the world is
estimated as follows: The crop will
be $4,000, 900 bushels. To this should
be added 100000 bushels held
over from last year. This is twice the
average hoIdover as there were diff
culties in transportation and difficult
ties in financing European purchases.
Thus we will have $50, 100000 bushels
on hand
The normal home consumption of
wheat is 100000 bushels. Eighty
million bushels must be held to plant
to have 310.00O,000 bushels of wheat
for export. This is more than half as
much wheat as our own people con-
sumo 1t is a splendid contribution
to the world supply Before the war
our average export was 5000, 0OO,
and the average wartime export was
but 100000 bushels. So-we are
doing handsomely this year.
In Canada the wheat crop promises
to be betten than it has been for years
Hardy Canadians have been pushing
into the prairies of the northwest
around Medicine Hat, Calgary. and
! Moose jaw, battling six-month winters,
and 40below temperatures. When
crops were good. profits were large,
but there have been bad season. For
the past three years there have been
mostly crop failures, and the suffering
has been intense. But Canada promises
to contribute 100, 100000 bushels of
wheat for export this year.
In Argentina where the harvest sea-
son is December and January. the
is still aTt$unexported balance. India
gathered a good crop IN March and
April. In Australia it is now winter.
and heavy acreages are being seeded.
There was a great accumulation of
wheat in Australia when the war came
to an end, because there were no ships
to carry 1t.
The latest reports from Europe are
universally encouraging. In France
and Spain there are bumper crops, and
Prussia reports good yields. While
there is an absence of information
from the rest of Germany, there is the
assurance that the thrifty Hun is rails
ing food for his own use CZecho-
Slovakia has a good crop. Rumania,
banner wheat country Of the Balkans,
will make a fine showing Only Italy
has a crop that is below the average
and Algeria is alone in being rated
poor.
Filling the Empty Barrels.
The demand of late has been from
these countries, from the armies, and
the unreconstructed peoples that live
within their borders. There will be
more than the normal demand until
the flour barrels in all the grocery
stores and the bins in all the homes
are filled But Europe will now pro-
duce good part of the wheat that it
uses, and the rest of the world VIII
find its responsibilities lightened.
In the background of the wheat sit
uatien there always turks the shadow
of Russia. The far-reaching steppes
of that great country are the only re-
wsion over which the American prai-
ries have no advantage. Iowa can pc
duplicated a dozen times to the north
of the Black Sea.
The door of exit for wheat from
Russia has been closed for six years.
When Turkey took her place beside
Germany. Russian wheat stopped
coming thru the Dardanelles. When
Russia became a land OF chaos the
wheat of the plains ceased to flow
even to Odessa, Moscow and Petro
grad.
There is a lack of reliable informa-
ton as to what has been going on in
Russia. The country is so vast that
it is difficult to see it in perspective.
1t would be unwise to draw conclu-
sions with relation to the whole wheat
supply from a report on a portion of
Ukraine as big as Pennsylvania, or
after taking stock in a port like
Odessa. When British reports say that
there are vast stores of wheat in Rus
STA. the fact must be borne in mind
that Britain is a buyer of wheat and
would like to drive the price down.
Russia VIII Be Slow.
But it is impossible that the Russian
peasant has stopped growing wheat.
1t is likely that he has goodly stores
of it in reserve, but il the nations
were to resume trade with Russia to-
day it would be a long time before
this wheat reached the market. Odessa
would have to prepare for handling it.
the railroads running into the country