The Washington herald., 1921-10-28

The exports Of foodstuffs have been
maintained this year to a surprising
degree. While. It was expected that
European demands would be most
pressing for foods and raw materials,
and that these products would main
tain their exact volume over
other commodities. It had been an
ticipated that this demand would
decline as the crop season abroad
advanced towards the harvest. This
has not been the case.
A comparison Of exports for Sep
TENDER. 1921, with the same month
a year ago, and the nve-year aver
age 1s1o-1s14, shows that breadstuffs.
including all grains. was three times
the prewar average, meats over twice
as much. dairy products twenty
canned goods three times as great.
Experts Of FoodstuRs.
lin millions Of pounds-)
Breadsturs ...s,s47 2.4Sl 1.s2o
vesstsbis oils. s.s "a 90
Dried fruits. y II
Canned goods. Ia
Wheat products were exported In
surprisingly large volume during July
and August this year, while In the
past the movement was usually low
at this period, taking It's upturn in
August and reaching the height In
October. This year. however, the in
crease of exports began in April
and continued with very little de-
cline in July.
Meat products declined In guam
tity from the hrst Of the year until
May. when exports increased, COM
ing back to the level Of January,
which, as noted above, was more
than double the prewar average, and
nearly double the amount exported
in September a year ago. Lard ex-
ports usually run fairly uniform
through the year. reaching a high
point in February. This year q de-
cline started in that month, but a
new upturn began in May and by
September had reached a level twice
above the top of last year and nearly
three times the prewar average. 1t
appears that decline in prices Of
American products was followed by
an increased demand for them abroad.
The value of the goods exported
does not show such high marks as
quantities during recent months,
but is still considerably above the
prewar average. Judged on a basis
OF value the great decline in bread
stuffs, meat and cotton, which to-
gether constitute about IS per cent
of all agricultural exports, came in
March, 1920, and while there was
some recovery in the fall, there has
been an almost continuous decline.
The continued demand in Europe
for our breadstuffs may be explain
ed to a large extent by the failure
of Russia to provide any surplus
this year. Before the war Russia
| furnished about half OF the wheat
imports of western Europe. The
world crop OF wheat is not so large
that European buyers care to delay
purchases, consequently they came
into the American market early.
They have not only purchased heav-
| ly Of wheat, taking considerably
increased their purchases of other
grains. OF corn, for instance, we
| exported $4,000, 900 bushels in Sep
TENDER. 1921. compared to 1000, 00O
bushels in 1920, and about 2,o00,0 O
bushels before the war. OF rye we
exported nearly 100000 bushels
this year against 800, 600 last year
and about a quarter OF a million
bushels previous to the war A
large part of our increased exports
OF breadstu1s Is represented in rice
Of which We sent out over $4,000, 00G
pounds this year compared, to about
$1,000 900 pounds before the war
Among the meat products the big
gain has Nbeen in condensed mi
Europe is not yet back TO normal In
dsiry production and 1t appears that
the war has done much to extend
the consumption Of American con-