Evening star., 1936-10-25

Tense chiefs may be able to achieve
the apparently impossible, and pro-
vide gas-proof shelter for several mil
lion citizens in Londcn's tremendous
tube railway system (the technical
side Of that Job Is being tackled now
But although a wheat subsidy has
stepped up home production from an
average 100000 bushels in 1929
1888 to 65,000000 bushels, 1t Is i'm
possible for the island people to grow
in home fields the other 230. .O0O, 900
bushels that they annually. consume.
However, storage for a years supply
in silos may yet be provided. The
larder chief has considered a proposal
made in Parliament to buy, transport
sud store in Britain the Canadian sur
plus. which is equal to q years British
consumption.
Fish and potatoes are about the
only important foodstufIs Cf one ex-
cepts beer. and even there the British
brewers cannot get all the hops they
need at home) of which John Bull has
an adequacy. But large quantity of
those potatoes are grown in Ireland
and shipped, and although his fisher
men catch q surplus of fish and sell
from 100000 to 250,000 tons abroad
annually, as far east as Russia, John
has to keep his fishing fleets manned
and afloat to get his fish. And the
call by the navy on the fishing fleet
personnel in wartime Is heavy.
During the last 10 years John has
doubled the chicken population,
stepped up his cattle herds to $500.
900 head and his sheep flocks to u.s.
100000, and nearly doubled the pig
population. But his 4,500. 900 pigs still
leave him short by $4,000 tons of pork
annually and 375,0OO tons OF bacon
and hams.
Wool Imports Are Large.
Britain's sheep provide her with a
sixth Of the raw wool her mills use,
but she has to import the balance
along with $4,000 tons of mutton.
The chickens lay 1000. 900 900 eggs a
year, but that is still 1000, 900, 900
short Of the total needed. Johns
dairy herds now provide him with
$4,000 tons of cheese. but he still has
to bring in another 100000 tons of
butter and 1876, 900 tons of cheese. As
for beef, the home supply falls short
by 100000 tons year.
John has stimulated fruit and vege-
table production until he now has
over million acres in production. He
remains short by l,l5o,000 tons of
raw fruit and $4,000 ,000's worth Of
vegetables. In the last decade he has
forced up his beet crops by subsidy
from a sugar yield of $4,000 tons to
one of 500 900 tons. but this covers less
than third of his annual needs.
In oats and barley he has done
better. He used to import 900 900 tons
of oats year. Now he brings in only
10000 tons, and grows million tons
himself. In barley he has cut his
intake from l,250,0 900 tons to $50 900
tons. But, of course. he has replaced
horses-he has a herd of 100000 to
feed-largely by machines, and the
machines create an even larger larder
problem.
In the last eight years Johns con-
sumption of motor fuel has doubled.
He is now producing 100000, 900 gal
Ions year tthanks to a government
duty concession; synthetic oil and
petroleum is nowhere a commercial
proposition without government add
But this represents only 81 per cent
of his total requirements. This has
made the larder chiefs thoughtful; in
'tensive efforts are being made to find
oil. The Anglo-Persian company has
its experts prospecting under special
license over 1000 square miles of the
island.
Coal Supplies = Factor.
In jam, John might produce all
the oil he needs from his own coal.
He digs 10000, 900 tons a year, and
exports a fourth of that. But it
would cost $4,000. 900, 900, and disrupt
vast industries in which billions OF
British capital are sunk. to make
Britain independent of sea-borne oil
and motor fuel
He now has his various new plants
and processes for producing synthetic
paint, varnish and solvents. His
larder chiefs did not like an item of
100000 gallons of imported turpen-
tine; so today hydrogenated naphtha-
lene is being produced by new
process as a substitute.
He has a new factory which will in
crease his synthetic cotton output
from 100000 to 10000, 900 pounds
annually. He is rather proud-seeing
that in 1914 he found himself with
barely enough dive to color the uni