Evening star., 1947-02-03


sential to avoid extreme hardship
in the war-devastated countries.
The United States has, in addi-
ton, a special responsibility in
Germany and Japan, where heavy
imports are required to maintain
food supplies at least at a level
sufficient to prevent disease and un-
rest. If this is not done. our troops
would be jeopardized and our policy
of encouraging the growth of de-
mocracy in these occupied countries
would be endangered.
The United States has announced
an export goal of at least 10000, 900
short tons of grain and flour. To
reach this target, controls may con-
tinue necessary after March 81 to
insure the movement of the grain to
seaboard and to insure economies
in the non-food uses of cereals in
this country.
Special controls may also continue
to be necessary on rice. World ex-
port supplies are even more short
than other grains, and the United
States has export responsibilities to
areas Of particular concern to us,
such as Puerto Rico, the Philippines
and Cuba.
Sugar and Related Products-Be-
cause of our heavy dependence on
imports, the world shortage of sugar
and related products is of outstand-
ing concern to the United States
Total sugar available for shipment
to the United States, Canada and
all Western European countries In
1947 is expected to be only about
Z 100000 tons compared with aver
age net imports before the war OF
about $500, 900, and 1916 imports OF
6,750,000. fes
Sugar Controls Still Needed.
The United States will continue
to receive its share of these supplies.
Our share in past years has been
sufficient to permit us to maintain,
along with Canada and the United
Kingdom considerably higher. pro-
portion of our prewar consumption
than other importing countries.
Supplies in 1947 will be larger
than in 1946. Nevertheless, 1947 sup
plies for the United States will still
be below prewar per capita supply
and even farther below estimated
demand.
In this situation, both our domes-
tic and international interests re-
quire continuation of domestic and
import controls over sugar and edi-
BILE molasses and sirups and import
controls only over other sugar-con-
tanning products and inedible mo-
lasses.
Domestically, unless current con-
trolls are continued, there would be
inequitable distribution of the linn
tied supply among various users,
much sugar would be held for specu-
lative purposes and it is probable
that sugar would go to a greater
extent to industrial users, resulting
in lower proportion for household
consumers than they now receive.
The cost of sugar used in the
United States during 1947 will ex-
ceed 81 ,000, ,000,0 900. Although the ex-
tent to which prices would rise under
premature decontrol is uncertain,
there is grave danger that this cost
might multiply several times, with
serious results to consumers and
sugar-using industries and eventu-
ally to sugar producers and refiners
similar to those experienced after
World War I.
internationally, decontrol would
make it extremely difficult for us to
carry out the understanding under
which the United States, since 1912,
has acted as agent to buy the Cuban
export supply for distribution among
the supporting countries in accord
ance with the commentators of
the International Emergency Food
EOnncll. lss.ss44 s5sssS
Fats and Oils in Short Supply.
Fats and Oils-Fats and oils are
among the commodities in shortest
world supply. World import demand
for the current calendar year
amounts to about 100000 short
tons, which is almost equal to pre-
war trade in these commodities.
However, only about half of this
will be available. The production
of cocoanut and palm oils in many
parts of the Far East is still far be-
low prewar levels, and the European
production of animal fats is still far
below levels of preWar years.
AS consequence, all importing
countries are forced to consumption
levels of from IS to 80 per cent of
their prewar levels. Only by main
tanning careful distribution between
countries, therefore, will it be pos
sible to avoid serious inequities.
This situation requires the con-
tinuation of import and export con-
trolls to insure that we and other
countries receive proportionate
share of this short world supply.
Other Foods-There are other
agricultural commodities over which
continued import controls also ap-
pear to be necessary as a result of
continuing serious world shortages.
These controls are necessary to
carry out international understand
ings. The commodities they cover
are: Meat and meat products, dairy
products, peas and beans, canned
fish and protein foods.
Imported Industrial Materials-At
the same time there are other
commodities which we import for
industrial purposes over which some
form OF ALLEGATION control will be
necessary after March 81, 1947
These are cinchona bark and
cinchona alkaloids, rubber, manila
(ABACA) and agave fiber and
cordage, tin and antimony.
Rubber Shortage May Continue.
Cinchona bark and alkaloids are
chiefly supplied by the Netherlands