The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-04-29
WHERE THE SUGAR WENT.
Export Absorbed a Greater Quantity
Than Usual

When Austen Chamberlain, BIRTHS
! chancellor of the exchequer, rose in til
House of Commons week or so ag
and remarked that Americans had add
ed TO the miseries of the world by pro
hibition, because they wanted an i'm
mensely increased amount of sugar
he said something for which he ongh
to apologize TO America. Mr. Cham
berlain was fooled by the statistician.
who reported that the per capita con
sumption of sugar in this country las
year was 10 pounds greater than tn
year before. Now these figures are no
exactly what they seem, we are told
and It was not America, but Europe
that vastly increased its actual con
sumption of sugar last year.
The British chancellor, If he had ex
amined British Board of Trade reports
must have known that England in
creased her own consumption of sugar
| by 5ll 900 tons, or go per cent, during
IL months of 1919, compared with the
same period Of 1918 He cannot Offer
the excuse of prohibition for this Brit.
ish indulgence. II seems to be. one
way of saying, "Well, the wars over
let's have something" II sugar buying
| has added to the worlds miseries-
happiness-Britain has had big share
in the matter.
America used 100000 tons more sug-
ar last year than in 1918, Used Is the
word rather than consumed. We did
not eat all of this excess. Mr.. Cham
berlain may be surprised to know that
we sent a large part of il to Europe
under other names. What happened 20
our sugar supply in the last year is
beginning to appear. A large part Of
il left the country in disguise, as pre-
served fruit and condensed milk.
In condensed and evaporated milk
America has been satisfying an enor.
nous demand from Europe. Our milk
is feeding the babies Of Europe IL
has saved the lives of millions, who
must otherwise have starved because
the dairy herds of Europe were slaugh-
tered for meat. We sent hundred
times as much out rof the country last
year as in 1914. The total Of con.
densed and evaporated milk exports
as reported by the department of com.
merce for IL months was s50,000,0O0
pounds. In value these exports were
near the top of the food list. close be-
hind pork products. The total was
1851 ,000, 900.
A very large part of this $50 100000
pounds of condensed milk was com
posed of sugar The amount varies
with the grade of the milk. In some
poorer grades il may reach 80 per
cent, in others much less. II seems
certain that az least 250,000,000 pounds,
or $4,000 tons of sugar, went abroad
in cans labelled condensed milk. Amer.
lea did not eat this sugar, although il
appears in the statistical reports as
Consumed" in this country. Its con.
sumption consisted only OF mixing II
with milk at the creameries, and seal
ing il in the tin cans ready for ship
ment. The real consumer was not the
American. but the foreign purchaser
The buyers Of about 600000.000 pounds
of milk were Europeans, as the gov
eminent reports show. The others were
scattered in many lands.
Sugar used in preserving milk was
not all that Europe took from us with
out credit from the statisticiRns. From
our consumption must be deducted the
sugar that went abroad in canned and
other preserved fruit of this first
there was a tremendous increase in ex-
ports last year The weight Is not re-
ported. The value as given by the Gus
toms officials was s37 100000 in IL |
compared with only $4,000 900 |
in 1918. A large part OF these fruit !
preserves contained as high as so per |
cent sugar. The canned goods used /
much less. But. like the sugar sent |
abroad in condensed milk, it was eat
en-, not BY Americans. but by foreign.
Frs, though figured in the American /
sugar consumption statistics that have |
deceived Mr.. Chamberlain and many /
others.
There is a further indefinite deduc.
ion from our excess sugar consump-
ion due to exports Of fruit juices and
extracts. These in value for II months
rere 81 $4,000, an increase OF about
s365. 600
Mr.. Chamberlain probably did not
axe the trouble TO learn that America
llso sent abroad enormous shipments
II grape sugar and glucose derived
rom corn. These exports were no less
han $4,000 tons in III months, or
more than four times as much as in
he same period Of 1915. This ship
nent Of corn sugar and syrup, Of
curse. was taken from our own food
nd confectionery Industries, and prob
bly, replaced BY an equal amount 81
ane sugar.
u viii Be seen from these fgures
hat little. Il any. of the 10000 tons
& increase IN sugar consumption
vent into American stomachs. Instead
i adding TO the uiseriss Of the world,
bis 10000 tons was keeping alive TIE
tsrviur children a Europe
Additional Use q soft drinks and