SUGAR PRODUCTION IN U. S. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 5 



9.9, and the United States 7.3. British India produced 27.9 per cent 

 of the cane sugar, Cuba 19.7, Java 15.6, Hawaii 5.8, and the United 

 States 3.9. 



During the decade 1904-1913 the annual exports of sugar from Cuba 

 exceeded all other countries, amounting to 1,626,000 tons; Java, 

 1,342,000; Germany, 920,000; Austria-Hungary, 755,000; and Hawaii, 

 482,000. The cane-sugar producing countries show a large increase 

 in exports of sugar, while the beet-sugar countries, with the exception 

 of Russia, show either a small increase or a decrease. The United 

 States exceeded all other countries in imports of sugar, amounting to 

 2,743,000 tons, as compared with 1,843,000 tons for the United King- 

 dom, 147,000 for France, 83,000 for the Netherlands, 35,000 for Ar- 

 gentina, and 13,000 for Germany. 



The United States also heads the list in consumption of sugar, 

 which amounted to an annual average of 3,492,000 tons during the 10 

 years 1904-1913, an increase over the preceding decade of 42.9 per 

 cent, as against 2,633,000 for British India ; 1,884,000 for the United 

 Kingdom, an increase of 9.9 per cent; 1,203,000 for Germany, an in- 

 crease of 44.3 per cent; 1,129,000 for Russia, an increase of 49.7 per 

 cent ; 662,000 for France, an increase of 37.7 per cent ; and 634,174 for 

 Austria-Hungary, an increase of 55 per cent. During the decade 

 1904-1913 Australia exceeded all other countries in per capita con- 

 sumption of sugar, amounting to 112.96 pounds, as compared with 85 

 pounds for the United Kingdom, 77.6 for the United States, 60.6 for 

 Cuba, 38 for Germany, 30.6 for France, 28.1 for Belgium, 26 for Aus- 

 tria-Hungary, 16.7 for British India, and 14.4 for Russia. 



The adoption of the articles of agreement at the Brussels Conven- 

 tion brought about a change in the sugar industry of international 

 importance. Eleven years later the outbreak of the European war 

 brought about another change of international importance, the 

 effects of which can not be determined until after the close of the 

 war. The United Kingdom had been the chief market for the beet 

 sugar of the continent. When hostilities began that market not only 

 was closed to most European beet sugar, but the United Kingdom 

 was forced to seek other sources for its sugar supply, which proved 

 to be difficult as well as expensive. The British Empire exceeds all 

 other countries in production of sugar, yet the United Kingdom 

 holds second place in importation of sugar, of which approximately 

 90 per cent came from foreign countries, mostly European. The 

 West India committee have presented a memorandum to the British 

 Government which cites the advantages of having the United King- 

 dom obtain its sugar supply from British colonies, which it is esti- 

 mated could be done if colonial sugar were given preferential treat- 

 ment in the customs tariff. This legislation, if enacted, will prob- 



