The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-10-09
W0RL DIVIDE COAL
DEARTH Menace
TO ALL INDUSTRY
Official of National Bank of Com
merce Says Only Two Nations
s Have Adequate Supply.
.rs aEH
SUBSTITUTES ARE
e-as pc NOT AVAILABLE
Neither New Fields Nor Fuel Oil
win Solve the Problem
at This Time.

winter, according to Joseph A. Broder-
lex, Vice President of the National 4
Bank Of Commerce in New York, and
even in these countries, he says, it has
been found necessary to take admin
istrative measures to protect domestic |
needs. Mr.. Broderick points out that |
the threatened coal shortage which /
has aroused anxiety in New England,
Ohio and other sections of the country |
is merely one aspect of worldwide
condition. Neither shipments from
new and remote fields, such as those
in Australia, nor the increased use Of
fuel oil and other substitutes for coal
will solve the problem for the present.
only two countries Of the world, |
the United States and the United
Kingdom, today have reasonable as
surance of sufficient coal TO operate
their industries at capacity during the
coming winter" Mr.. Broderick says.
"In order to attain this security al
definite limit has been placed upon the
amount of British coal available for
export, and in the United States ex-
ports have been automatically held I'M
check by measures taken to assure
domestic supplies. The fuel problem
is the foremost question facing the
Industry of every country of western
Europe, except the United Kingdom.
| II is also to the fore in number of
countries outside Europe, chiefly those
! Countries Of South America which
| Lave heretofore been dependent on inn
| ported coal In South America the
coal shortage has not as seriously af-
| fected the national life as is the case
| with the countries of Europe, chiefly
| because manufacturing does not con-
s.itute the major activity Of any South
| american country. J5.4-. .4-a4.-,
THE international coal trade is en-
| ttrely dominated by the United King
! dom, Germany and the United States.
+, In 1913, on the basis Of net exports,
| about 1450O0,O00 tons of coal, or lit
! tie less than one-ninth of the worlds
! output, entered into international COM
i Iaerce, and of this amount 81 per cent
4 came from the three leading exporters.
Not only is the coal supply of import
H ing countries now dependent upon the
I mines of these three countries, but
Il there is no prospect for years to come
/ Of important additions from other
II sources to the amount of coal availa-
\ BILE for the export market, The recent
emphasis placed upon small shipments
from new and remote coal fields has
Ecen entirely out of proportion to their
relation to the issue.
"a similar oyer-emphasis has also
been placed on the proposed use of
substitutes. The widespread use of
fuel oil in place Of coal for the bunker
ing of steamships was made in part
because of the high steam value of
oil in relation to weight, and in part
10 the quickness and convenience with
which supplies can be taken on, as
| compared with the onerous process of
filing coal bunkers. A similar re-
placement of coal by oil has occurred
in some other industries, especially for
railroad fuel, but the supply of oil is
! not sufficient to overcome the fuel
! shortage.
'The scarcity of coal and its high
cost are everywhere stimulating plans
for the development of water-power.
| Nevertheless. the production of cleo
tricfty from water-power necessitates
elaborate installations at time when
capital is costly and difficult to Sc
cure, and extensive water-power prof.
rcts REQUIRE years for completion
: Wood and peat are but poor substi-
utes for coal, and for many uses llg'
oite likewise is highly unsatisfactory
tIodern industry has been built on
, coal, and it is dependent on adequate
supplies for its maintenance.
v World production Of coal IN l9ls
: Il estimated by the United States Geo
:. logical Survey to have been LIDO,
100 900 gross tons, only 10,o00O0O tons
/ above the output for 1910, and 10.
| 400 900 tons below the output for 1913
| i fhe maximum year thus far. 1t is no'
| fotba concluded, however, because pro
/ | duction In 1919 was far below Wna'
/ |. II might reasonably have been, excep
III for the Intervention of war, that the
II world was last year shortof coal near
! " to the amount of e00t000,009 tons
The total shortage of coal in the inter
national market is only small par
Of the difference between actual pro
duction and probable output had tn
!. war not occurred, but. when measured
: in terms of the effect on the countries
which are suffering this shortage It l
acute. and the only hope of meeting |
/ lies in the productive capacity OF IN
!. United Kingdom, the United State
and Germany"