The Washington herald., 1922-02-26
EUROPEAN TRADE
UNFAVORABLETO
AMERICANCORN
Undegerminated Product
Used in War Time
Failed to Keep.

An extended study Of the market
Possibilities for American corn
products In Europe is being made
by Trade Commissioner !. A. LIE
Clerc, who reports to the Depart
ment of Commerce that most of
the European countries have formed
an unfavorable opinion of these
products. as the kind used during
the war was generally of the nature
Of undegerminated corn meal, which
although of excellent food value II
consumed while fresh, usually can
not be kept very long without spoil
Ing. The degerminated grits or
meal will keep practically as well
as wheat -four.
Persistent educational propagan-
da. supplemented by demonstra-
tions. to introduce the higher grade
OF corn products and remove the
prejudice encountered in Europe
against this valuable foodstuff
would no doubt pay In the end.
Uses Of Corn Restricted.
ooHlc CitlcS IIuEopGt anu cNcU
some countries, have regulations
restricting certain uses, of corn
products. but wherever their use is
permitted both the bakers and
brewers using corn -four and corn
grits are evidently competing sue
cessfully.
In France during the war and up
to quite recently large amounts OF
rorp aon. uUara tp,nartad NEE In
bread making, but after the re-
movaI of all restrictions on the
baking industry august 1. 1s21)
no -four substitutes were used. Corn
-four is used in some of the brew
cries. just as corn grits or corn
flakes are used, generally In con-
nection with American malt Of high
diastasic power. Under normal con-
ditions the price paid In France for
corn -four. much of which is pur-
chased in Belgium, Is such that II
Is quite possible for American firms
to compete.
Imports Corn Flakes.
American maize groats cannot
compete successfully with the ex-
cellent product of this kind manu-
factured in France from imported
corn. as the whole grain is subject
to a duty of only francs per 100
Rllos and the manufactured product
SO francs Der 100 kilos. France i'm
ports a small amount of corn fakes
from Belgium, and although 1t
would be possible for American
manufacturers to compete in this
trade. the amount consumed Is too
small to be worth while. Flakes
hyr he
brewers. as they have approximate
ly equal value as malt substi-
tutes, but imported fakes cannot
compete in price with the groats
manufactured locally from the i'm
ported grain.
An Official of the Bureau de Ra-
vitaillement estimates that on ac-
count of the world scarcity Of oats
the French army will require 1o0,-
600 tons OF coarse cracked corn.
free from meal. or small-kernel
corn (such as the La Plata corn)
for horse feed II American corn
were imported for this purpose. the
government would probably be in
terested also in the purchase of
mills suitable to crack the corn.
Belgium as well as Franco now
purchases the greater part OF its
corn supply from Argentina,
The reasons alleged in both
France and Belgium for preference
for Argentine corn over America
are that II Is smaller and better
adapted for poultry feed .and that
II Is sweeter. besides containins
three to four per cent less moisture
than American Corn. enabling II to
stand TRANSFORMATION better and to
keep longer in good condition.