The Wrangell sentinel., 1941-08-22
SALMON TO WIN THE WAR

National Defense and aid TO Britain
is likely to be its "Silyer Hoard
of salmon. now running heavily in
Southeast Alaska.
Exactly what demands for salmon
to Britain and more salmon to the
defense army of this country will be
made on the salmon Gamers is not
yet definite The Surplus Commodi-
ties Corporation has been buying the
canned fish for Britain and the ar
my and navy have. been doing their
own buying, but with future big
orders rumOred. cannery sales or
CARNATIONS are anticipating head
aches, and stories are rife that the
buying procedure may be changed
soon. Il is believed that purchases
by the government may be made di-
reetly from Gamers. thus eliminate
ing any profit for middlemen.
It is the quantity of fish which
will be required, however. which is
of immediate Importance to the can
nerymen. A preliminary estimate
from Britain is said to have named
3 100000 cases as the amount need
ed from the United States This es-
innate wa scaled down in Washing
ton, D. C.. by the government pur-
chasing agencies, however. to about
100000 cases. and later It was an
nounced that canned salmon sup
plies for Britain will probably ap-
proximate a little over a million
cases, with the suggestion that about
100000 cases be reds.
Guesses by Gamers as TO how
many cases will be needed for Am
erican defense forces range all the
way from 100000 to 100000 but
cannerymen who have been watch
ing closely the rate at which army
and navy buying has progressed the.
past few months do not believe the
demand will exceed a half-million
cases unless the armed forces become.
engaged in some Iarge-seale opera.
tions.
In a far more serious position are
Canadian Gamers, whose government
has ordered that approximately l.
100000 cases of the British Colum
bia pack will have to be forwarded
to Great Britain" Further. this Bri-
tish order is being given priority
over all other sales. Figuring a Can
adian pack of some 100000 cases
this year, which is more fish than
many of the Gamers expect to see
ooppa5 tb;e Mould LAVA obo,,# E0a
600 cases for Canadian domestic use
and exort to other foreign customers.
In 1899. Canada's domestic market
took some 100000 cases, while
about 100000 cases were exported
to markets outside the United King
dom On that basis, the order for
salmon for Britain will mean a Ca
nandian shortage of some 100000
cases.
The expected shipments of salmon
to Britain from this country would
be only a normal export order to the
British under ordinary circumstan-
ces, the Gamers state. Sales of
around 100000 cases would be
only a little more salmon than was
exported to that country through
ordinary trade channels out of last
years pack This year, however.
there is no carryover, while a year
ago there was a earryoyer of some
10000 cases of fish in eannery
warehouses, about 100000 cases be-
ing reds.
As far as supplies for defense
forces at home are concerned, Ger
tain officials have pointed out that
it will merely be a matter of the
boys eating their salmon in army
camps rather than at home and there
should be a cutting down of civilian
demand for salmon which will be
made up by increased army and navy
demands. Salmon sales agencies.
however, deny this. Men in the SER
vice will eat more canned salmon
than they do at home. they point
out.
Faced with these prospects, can
nerymen may be thankful that the
Alaska salmon run this year has
been good and that, at last report,
there were about million more cases
of fish in warehouses of Alaska can
neries than at the same time a year
ago. Just the same, demands for fish
for both Britain and U. S. defense
forces may mean a shortage of can
ned salmon for regular grocery store
customers in this country and
abroad, some believe.
Food will win the war;" Secre-
tary of Agriculture Claude Wickard
recently told the farmers of the Ma
ton. If that is so, fishermen and
cannery operators in Alaska are GER
tainly doing their part.