The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-01-06
NO RELIEF FROM
H. C. FOR YEAR
Scientist Says Social and hdue-
trial Unrest Must First
Be Gained.
PARTS OF WORLD ARE HUNGRY
Hardly Any Factor Of Business Thst
Is StabIe-Production Hae Been
Crippled in Many Countries
Distribution Disorganized.

L0IluUu."l DS WOIIu Cdh NAt'Ctt ~
relief from the present high cost OF
living and the shortage Of commodities
until the widespread social and indus
trial unrest has disappeared and the
war shattered economic machinery
has been put in order, according tG
Charles Il. MaCurdy. parliamentary
secretary to the ministry of food. MI.
McCurdy said hat he was not part1c-
ularly optimistic over the chances OF
any marked betterment of the situa-
ton in the neal future.
1--WE have bolshevism at n end OF
the world and widespread strikes at
the other" said Mr.. McCurdy. land
not until society resume It's norma!
course can we right economic condi-
tions.
st Is very difficult to prophesy re-
garding the food situation of he fu-
ture, In view of the fact that the
whole economic structure of the world
has been so badly dislOcated. There
Is hardly any factor of business that
is stable, and we do not know what
wages are to be. AS a result of these
conditions the regular channels Of dis
tribution are d~isorganized, and until
they are normal, 1t will be impossible
to tell what effective supplies there
are as compared with the world
stocks.
Parts Of World Hungry.
"While 1t is true that America, Eng
land and some other countries are
sufficiently supplied now so that there
is no distress among the people, yet
this comparative abundance is in re
atty a fictitious one and may not last.
Great sections of the world are actu-
ally hungry because of the impossi-
bility of distributing supplies prop
erly. If the channels OF distribution
were open and the economic condi-
lions were such that foodstuffs could
be purchased by those countries which
need them we probably would find
ourselves faced with a shortage In
many things.
'For example, if the peoples Of cen
trail Europe should be in a position
next year to purchase the meat they
need. there would be a world short
age of several million tons. 1t is i'm
probable that they will be able to buy.
it is impossible to predict so far
n advance. l believe that, a year from
things will have been brought to
head and that the world will be fac
its most critical time.
'.There are those who tell me that
am wrong in my outlook and that
here will be no shortage, but | can
igure it no other way. There GER
are many countries now which
securing far below what they need
q the way of foodstuffs, and when
he time comes for them to buy it will
e impossible to refuse them their
air share of what the world produces.
''There is another factor to be con-
idered also. Where production has
cen stimulated during the var it
ultimately revert to normal. 1t
not natural as 1t stands. In the
United States, for instance, the meat
reduction has been artificially slim
lated, and it is hard to estimate when
lis temporary condition will vanish.
merica next year may be an import
: of meat, instead of a big exporter.
ee what that would mean to the rest
7 the world.
ION the other hand, production has
cen crippled in many countries.
NL-.x-- - E,r ~
"In Europe as a whole, there is an
,tual shortage of II per cent in sheep
Id a larger shortage In pigs. Be
use of this Europe would have toll
nport 3,500,OOO tons of meat this
ming year if it were to return to
) pre-war consumption.
"In regard to wheat the exportable
rplus Of the world is down COM
red with that before the war. I'M
lrt requirements at the same time
e up. The same thing is true of
tier, and in some countries it's on
has been increased by the
TX Of margarine. There is also a
gar shortage. The beet sugar pro-
elton has dropped off 100000 tons
Europe since 1914. The cane su-
r production of the world meantime
S increased only 100000 tons.
in discussing prices we must con
Ter the meaning of the phenomenon
the United States, where there is
food shortage but an exportable
rplus. The food supply is above
rn4al, and yet the prices have adj
need almost proportionately with
J increase in Great Britain. which I.
largely an importing country. This