In
1914 all of these countries were producing enough sugar for their own
needs. England produced none at all, but the continent, especially
Germany and Austria, supplied her with about 54 per cent of what she
needed.
[Illustration: MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF EUROPEAN BEET SUGAR
FACTORIES--ALSO BATTLE LINES AT CLOSE OF 1916
ESTIMATED THAT ONE-THIRD OF WORLD'S PROOUCTION BEFORE THE WAR WAS
PRODUCED WITHIN BATTLE LINES]
The beet-sugar industry in the United States started in 1863 and
has grown rapidly since 1897. In 1917 it supplied 22 per cent of the
consumption.
Sugar-cane is grown in tropical and semitropical countries all over
the globe. Cuba leads in the amount produced, and consumes only
a small fraction of her production herself. Java, too, is a large
exporter. India raises millions of tons but has to import some to
fill all her needs. In the United States, Louisiana, Texas, and some
parts of Florida produce about 6 per cent of what we use, but our
dependencies, Porto Rico, the Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines all
export to us, and together with Cuba, make up the deficiency.
The war has changed entirely the peace-time distribution. The map
shows what the battle-lines have done to the beetfields of Europe.
Belgium and the northern part of France, in which practically all
the beets were grown, are in German hands. In 1914 the battle-line
eliminated 203 of the 213 French sugar-factories.
Pages:
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62