These tables show that in the year 1914-15 the wheat exported was very much more than double that of the previous year; that the export of oats was more than twice as much as for the three previous years; that the export of rye was three times that for the three previous years; that the export of barley was more than that for the three previous years. There was not, however, so great an increase in the export of corn.

These figures show the following: First, that the allies promptly saw the necessity for vast supplies of grain, and that for the first year of the war the exports enormously increased over the amounts of previous years. These exports have increased to the present time; for wheat the demand has gone beyond the supply; the amount exported will this year depend upon what we can spare, not what could be sold abroad. (See p. 44.)

Second, the grains largely exported disclose the purpose for which they were needed. Wheat, rye, and barley are the staples of bread for men and women; and oats are needed to feed the animals, and especially the horses for the army.

The Europeans have not been so accustomed to using corn for human food; and therefore there was no increase in the amount of this cereal exported in 1914-15.

SUGAR.

The sugar production of the United States and our possessions, Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippine Islands, is shown by the following table:

Sugar constitutes the only exception for the fundamental food products in which the production of the United States and its possessions is not sufficient to meet our demand. For sugar we have been heavy importers. Indeed since 1911 an amount of sugar has been imported larger than that produced in the United States and the colonial possessions, the greater portion of which came from Cuba.

It is true that a part of the imported sugar is brought here to be refined and exported; but the exportation of refined sugar is only a fraction of the raw sugar imported.

The consumption of sugar in the United States has been enormous, upon the average about 85 pounds per capita or nearly 4 ounces per person daily. This means that one-fifth of the world consumption of sugar is consumed in the United States.1

THE MEATS.

The

The production of meat in the United States is enormous. table below gives the number of cattle, hogs, and sheep received at the 12 principal markets:

Cattle, hogs, and sheep—Total receipts at 12 principal western markets, Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha, Sioux City, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Joseph, St. Louis, St. Paul, Denver, Indianapolis, and Wichita, 1911 to 1916.

Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States, Department of Commerce, 1916, pp. 320–321.

Exact export statistics in terms of the above table are difficult to secure since while a considerable number of animals are exported, the larger amounts of the exports are in refrigerated meats.

However, it is to be said that there has been an extraordinary demand abroad for American-produced meat. Notwithstanding this demand, it is to be noted that the total amount received at the principal markets of the country was not greatly increased; and thus as compared with the market demand there was a severe shortage.

THE TEXTILES.

The great textiles produced in the United States are wool and cotton, and of these cotton is "king." The production and exportation of cotton for the United States from 1911 to 1917, is shown by the following table:

Cotton.

1 Statistical abstract of the United States, Department of Commerce, 1916, pp. 528.

8,920,000 11,663,000 9, 376,000

6,873,000

8,426,297

5,955,834

5,947,165

12088-17-4

Figures from 1911 to 1915 for production and from 1911 to 1914 for exports taken from the Yearbooks of the Department of Agriculture (1914, pp. 573, 578; 1915, pp. 469, 472; 1916, pp. 625, 629). Figures for 1916-17 from crop estimates, Department of Agriculture, for production and for 1915-16 for export from Monthly Summary, Foreign Commerce of United States, June, 1917.

This table shows that there was not as prompt a demand for cotton as for grains; indeed the export demand for 1914 decreased more than a quarter. The consequence was that cotton very greatly decreased in price, and various exceptional steps were taken by the Government to protect this article and prevent the prices from falling ruinously low.

The bumper crop of 1914 was followed by the reduced productions in 1915 and 1916.

By 1915-16 the vast requirements of the warring powers for this commodity, for the manufacture of clothing and for munitions, and in American manufactured goods resulted, in connection with the short crop of 1915 and 1916, in greatly enhanced prices.

THE METALS.

The demand for manufactured commodities of all kinds into which the metals enter has resulted in a greatly increased production of the metals during the war and for several of them a large increase in the amount exported. The facts for the more important industrial metals-iron, copper, lead, and zinc-from 1911 to 1916 are shown by the following tables:1

1 The statistics for 1911-1915, inclusive, are from Mineral Resources of the United States and are therefore accurate. The figures for 1916 are from the statistical number of the Engineering and Mining Journal, January 6, 1917, and are close estimates. The order of magnitude of the figures is not changed, and therefore they are sufficiently accurate for present purposes.

2 Figure taken from Press Bulletin No. 331, United States Geological Survey, August, 1917.

1911.

1912.

1913.

1914..

1915. 1916.

1911..

1912..

1913.

1914.

1915. 1916..

1911..

1912.

1913.

1914.

1915.

1916..

1911.

1912.

1913.

1914.

1915.

1916..

2 Figure taken from 1916 pamphlet, Production of Lead, United States Geological Survey.

1 Figure taken from 1916 pamphlet, Production of Spelter, United States Geological Survey.
2 First 10 months.

The above tables show that so far as the metals were concerned the demand did not appear sufficiently early in 1914, so that the depression of the first part of the year more than counteracted the increased demand later. Thus for the year 1914 for iron ore and iron products and for copper the amounts produced and exported were less than the previous year. The demands for lead and zinc were more prompt, and there was therefore a slight increase in production in 1914 over 1913.