New Britain herald., 1923-01-01
SHANLEY,SAND MANYO7HER FAMOUS NEW YORKPALACES
 OFNEW YEARS FUNRALDED
FRANCE GETTING TO
 BE SMOKERS NATION
Tobacco Using Gaining Shortage of High Grade
 Weed Likely Here
nY aEoRar U. MANNINa

fwashington Bureau of New Britain Herald
 Washington, Jan. i.-American to-
 baeco- users are having their suprem-
 acy seriously threatened by the less experienced but equally enthusiastic
 smokers of sunny France.
 over iib,O00.O00 pounds Of the fragrant weed were consumed in
 France last year. m increase of more
 than i3 per cent. over the consump- ton in the preceding year. according to the figures of the French Tobacco
 Monopoly just received by the |. S. department Of commerce.
 By far the greatest part of this tobacco was in the form Of pipe to- bacco, s5,O00.00 pounds having been burned In this way. Cigarettes were next. with i3.S92.96s pounds. Snuff was a much more popular form of indulgence than either cigars or rolled leaf, over ten million pounds of the powder having been sniffed during the past year.
 Undaunted by the recent upward revision of the scale Of prices for tobacco products, Frenchmen addict ed to the leaf merely adapted them selves to the new scale by switching to cheaper brands All but the most expensive brands showed large and steady increase in popularity.
 Smokers of the more expensive grades of cigarettes may find cause for worry in reports reaching this country of serious shortages in the tobacco production of Turkey and Russia.
 The production of Turkish to- bacco in the two districts of Samsoun and smyrna is estimated at about 22,000.00O pounds. according to fig ures received by the U. s. department of commerce, of which a consider able portion was destroyed by fire and by the retreating Greek army during the invasion of Asia Minor by the Turks. These figures repre- sent loss of approximately 50 per cent. of the total crop as compared with last years harvest. and nnlyi about 65 per cent. of the present crop is regarded as desirable for the American trade.
 Stocks of Turkish tobacco held at Constantinople are reported to be 11.020,000 pounds, and Russian | stocks in the city for export are re- ported as having been reduced dur ing September from 2,644,S00 to 1,9S3,6o0 pounds. Gains in Bulgarian production will not equalize quan- tity losses In Greece, and, owing to It's being less desirable for the Amer can trade than Greek tobacco, the of which has fallen off 6 per cent, the market for medium to good grades of Turkish tobacco will remain firm.
 Consumption of tobacco through out Europe still shows rising ten lency, and it is likely that imports ,f American tobacco by Italy and France will be increased.
 The extent to which tobacco is ,rown in Europe will probably be f to many Americans, who . Ire accustomed to think of this as : ,eing an exclusively American indus ! ry. Exclusive of Russia and Italy. he tobacco crop in Europe is esti- hated this year at 274.o00, 900 pounds i, which represents an increase of ten {, million pounds over last years pro- uction.
 Germany is the leading nation of < Europe in this crop. Over 77,000, 0oo v ounds, or nearly one-fourth of the :. otal, comes from this country. The :. zechoslovakian crop is nearly 100000 pounds. practically double hat 1t was a year ago. Hungary ;. lso shows an increase of 57 per cent. 7, l this years production of tobacco. '