Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-06
SUPPLIES Of FOOD
LESS THAN NORMAL
Washington Economist Says
Fruit Is Plentiful, But Grain
and Meat Are Low.

What is the state Of the EnSllsr
cupboard? This question, which was
so important during the World war
when German submarines threatened
to cut Great Britain off from lnt
outside world, is being asked agar
as the industrial strike continues dho
estimates made in America are a.
likely to be as reliable as WHAT *
coming now by cable.
The war emergency brought ou
surveys and investigations or the en-
tire British food question, and eHorts
we're made to encourage home pro
duction of grains and other 1oods
But the present situation finds Eng
land with a food supply on hand tha'
is q little below the normal stoch
for normal times-that is, when snip
ments are steadily coming in.
Less Wheat OH Hand.
Imports of wheat and flour are
lower this year than at similar
periods last year. April figures snow
that the wheat supply at BRUSH
ports is 1000, 600 bushels less tnar
last wear. And how much OF the
100000 bushels of wheat at the
ports will be turned into flour py
the mills during the strike is uilcei
tain. Homegrown wheat pfoVlues
only one-ffth of Great Britain's need
ed supply.
Stocks of bacon at Liverpool during
March of this year were lower than
last and stocks of ham amouhteu ~
only a little over one-fourth OF the
stock held at the same time last year.
Beef imports are a little higher 1nah
last wear and mutton a little lower
The great bulk of the milk supply Is
home produced, and special EFFORTS are
being made to distribute 1t, as IL Is
the most vital article OF 1000 LOT
young children. .e
The British people are better OH
when it comes to fruit and vegetables
in the opinion of Edwin Smith, as
sistant chief marketing specialist IN
the United States Bureau or Agrlcul-
tural Economics, who has just re-
turned from London. There will be
no acute shortage of potatoes, on
which the British housewife relies SO
heavily, and while this IS not sea-
son for large stocks of homegrown
vegetables, the Southern markets nave
been regularly sending shtploads OF
Spring produce to British ports.
Fruit Is on Way.
',rhis Is the peak of the season Tor
Australian and New Zealand apples
TO reach England" said Mr.. smith
whether the cargoes will be unload
ed. however, is another question. IL
is likely that commission merchants
will use their own trucks to handle
the fruit and get it from the docks 70
market. Cabbage and caulifiower nave
been coming in from France and Italy
and new potatoes from North Africa,
and these cargoes face the same STU
alton at the docks. Undoubtedly the
commission merchants and the farm
ers will be able to transport quantitles
of vegetables and fruit on lorrles.
Mr.. Smith points out that While the
British population has continued 10
increase land under cultivation in the
United Kingdom has decreased. III
was asserted during the World war
that the country might concelvably
make itself independent of other ma
tons for it's food supply. but to do
this it would have to abandon or
greatly diminish many of its most
important manufacturing industries
The present emergency cannot be met
bv plans for increasing future har-
vests, but it may again stimulate in
terest in farming among the British
people.