Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-11
j. s. COFFEE BILL
MILLION PER DAY
Nation Consumes Half of
World 0utput-1e23 I'M
ports Largest in History.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Spec4l dispatch 70 Tue Star.
NEW YORK, February 11.-CofYee
imports into tho United States in the
calendar year 1929 were tho largest
in tho history of our import trade.
They aggregated, says the Trade
Record Of tho National City Bank
1,425.00o.o0o pounds, against a former
high record of 1,341.000,o0o in 1921.
1,297.000.oo0 in 1920, and S52,oo0.0o0
in the year preceding the war; all
OF these figures relate to calendar
years. The value Of the coffee i'm
ports of 1923 was in round terms
$l9S,00o,000, against $105,000,o00 In
1919.
Coffee Habit Growing.
Whether the war had anything to
do with this growth Of our coffee
habit is not easy to determine but
at least 1t is a fact that the quantity
imported has rapidly increased since
iSa3' the total quantity imported in
1879 being IS per cent greater than
the consuming population has mean
time increased but II per cent.
Whether prohibition has had any
thing to do with the increased con-
SUMPTION Is also not easy to deter
mine, but 1t is q fact that the inn
ports of 1923 were but slightly great
er than in 1919, the year preceding
that in which the prohibition amend
ment came into effect.
There were only two occasions
prior to the war in which imports
reached as much as a billion pounds
and -FOUR occasions prior to prohi-
bition In which the total exceeded
100000 600 pounds: in 1923 the total
capita consumption in 1913, as stated
by the Statistical Abstract Of the
united States. was slightly below
nine pounds per capita; in 1918 ten
and one-half pounds: 1921 slightly
above twelve. and in 1923 approx
mately thirteen pounds per capita.
Coffee Bill Million Per Day.
And the coffee habit" seems a
somewhat expensive one, says the
Trade Record. when 1t is noted that
the stated value of the coffee i'm
ported since 1913 is over one and
one-half billion dollars in the coun-
time 1t is shipped to our ports. ware
housed, roasted and transferred to
the consumer has fully doubled in
price. suggesting that the people of
the country have paid more than
$4,000. 100000 for their coffee since
the beginning of the war. and that
! they are now paying for their coffee
considerably over million dollars a
day.
But the people will have it, ire
In which the import price made its
highest record. 1890, showed larger
quantities imported than in any year
preceding that date.
Prices vary, however, the coffee
coming from Brazil in the eleven
months OF 1923. for which detailed
figures are now available. having av-
eraSed 12.47 cents per pound; that
-L~y
1888 cents: from Colombia, 1851 cents
and from Java, slightly more than IS
cents.
Brazil Greatest shipper to Q. :.
While about two thirds OF the coRec
entering the United States originates
in Brazil. the number OF countries
records, over fifty, the chief countries
from which the 1922 imports were
drawn having been, in the order of
rank as measured in pounds, Brazil.
Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala, Mex
leo. Java, Salvador and Costa Rica-
The total quantity imported from
the principal countries In the eleven
mon tbs Of 1923 for which details are
100000 pounds; Colombia, zoe. o0O, 900;
Central America as a whole, 117,0o0,-
600; Venezuela, 48,000.000: Mexico,
100000, and Java $500, 1000 pounds
About per cent Of this coffee i'm
ported is re-exported.
U. S. Worlds Largest Consumer.
The United States is the worlds
biggest consumer of coffee, taking.
in fact, about one-halr Of the coffee
OF the world, and our per capita con-
sumption is now probab bly, greater
than that Of any other country. Bra
I'll is the worlds largest producer and
now supplies about 20 per cent of the
worlds coffee. The amount of money
which the United States has sent to
Brazil alone for coffee since the be-
ginning OF 1913 is oves 81, 600. o00, 900.
The coffee tree has wandered far from
its original home. AbyBsinia, follow
ing the tropical belt the world around.
but proving especially successful in
tropical America. which now pro-
duces about 30 per cent Of the coffee