Evening star., 1936-05-10
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.

MIL lew years ago lit
Maryland tobacco grower
could always count upor
foreign buyers taking con.
siderably more than half his annua
crop. Maryland leaf tobacco had long
enjoyed prestige in the markets oi
Europe for its excellent aroma and
free-burning qualities, and substitute!
were not easily found. From year tc
year the tobacco grower was content
and money from abroad continued tc
roll into his pocket in satisfying
amounts.
Then suddenly the picture was
changed. France, his best customer
has practically closed its doors against
Maryland tobacco. Other valued Gus.
toners abroad are beginning now tt
look elsewhere for substitutes-and are
finding them. Within five years thu
exports of tobacco from the State de.
clined from 11.577,000 pounds tt
7,103, 900 in 1884. This decline ha!
not stopped. Preliminary estimates
for the year just ended. with bumper
crop, indicate an even more alarming
reduction in export figures.
Future Seems Pessimistic.
What has the year 1886 in store fol
the Maryland tobacco grower anc
what can he do at this late day tt
recapture once thriving and lucra.
tive export trade?
Ask this double -barreled question
of Government officials and they adop
at once defeatist attitude.
They have much to say about wha
should be done-officials from Secre
tary of State Hull down to the agri
cultural agent in the field wax elo
quent on the subject-but on tn,
question Of whether the tobacco
grower or the commission merchan
will heed the advice they are pessi
mistic to degree that is puzzling tt
any one who is merely seeking al
answer.
The Maryland tobacco grower, the,
will tell you, is unique among his kins
in the United States. For nearl,
three centuries he has clung stub
bornly, almost blindly. to the outworr
methods and marketing practices O
his forebears. He alone among al
his rivals has been satisfied to stans
still, watching the march of progress
without seeking to join in it.
: In similar position is the BaIti.
more tobacco market, unchanging-
and some officials contend-un.
changeable.
rms failure to conform to modern
marketing methods, officials claim, is
costing the State several millions OF
oollars annually in vanishing export
trade In tobacco. The worst of it is
tney warn, it may ultimately bring
about heavy losses in the domestic
market.
Who knows how long conditions
might have been permitted to drift
. without serious efforts being made to
correct them, had not Maryland grow
ers suddenly realized that importations
OF their product into France-usually
good for five or six million pounds a
year-had decreased to the amazing
extent of 976 per cent in 1884
1t remained, however, for the Sec
fetary of State to focus attention on a
runious policy that threatens to drive
Maryland tobacco of the markets Of
Europe unless drastic reform measures
are taken. Senator Millard E. Tydinps.
alert to the dangers in the dwindlinp
export figures, appealed to the State
Department to give special considera-
ton to Maryland tobacco in the then
pending reciprocal trade agreement
with France.
In his reply Secretary Hull laid the
primary responsibility" for the con-
tinued loss in trade to the obsolete
marketing methods, which bureau
chiefs of the Agriculture and Com
merce Departments stoutly contend
are the real source of all the troubles.
Other States Not Affected.
He wrote:
You are doubtless aware that buv-
ers IN foreign markets have fire.
quently complained of the packing
and grading methods practiced by
Maryland producers. Consular reports
from European countries for a num-
Der OF years have made note of these
complaints by foreign buyers of Mary-
land tobacco, which have from time
to time been called to the attention
OF Maryland producers.
In view of efforts made by Gov
ernment officials to correct this sit,,.
alton, 1t would seem that the pri-
uery responsibility for the loss of
<ade, in so far as it arises from poor
packing and grading, lies with the
producers and shippers themselves
Inc oecllne In the Maryland to-
pacco lmportations in France. Secre-
tary Hull points out, is not reflected
10 a similar extent in the trade of
other American tobacco
From the study" Secretary HILL
SAID, 1T develops that while the GUAM
tlty OF American tobacco of all kinds
imported into France decreased from
some 100000 pounds in 1929 to
about 100000 pounds in 1884 or a
oecllne OF 21 per cent, the share of the
onlteo States in the total importa-
uons OF tobacco into France was 382
per cent in 1929 and 42.l per cent IN
1888. Thus. while the amount of the
trade was less in 1884 than in 1000
as Is OF course. true of international
trade as whole, the American share
OF the French tobacco market has been
well maintained"
New Low Looms for 1885.
"On the other hand the decline d,
the exports of Maryland tobacco 70
France has been much more serious
In 1929 the total exports of MARYLAND
tobacco. with but indeterminate ouan-
titles from Ohio included. to all coin.
tries amounted to about 1880. 600
pounds. These exports dropped to