WOOL AS MUNITIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 113, 8 November 1940, Page 9

WOOL AS MUNITIONS

AMERICAN DEMAND

MILITARY REQUIREMENTS

(By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright.) WASHINGTON, November 6. The War Department has opened the way for larger imports of wool by suspension of the requirement that only domestic wbol may be used in military orders for clothing and blankets. It is said that the domestic wool supply is,unable to meet the abnormally large requirements of the defence programme in all grades of wool for military equipment. Consequently the Quartermaster-General has been authorised to accept bids for material manufactured entirely of foreign wool or mixed foreign and domestic wools. The dispatch of a wool purchasing commission from the United. Kingdom to South America for acquisition ot tne i clips of Argentina and Uruguay emphasised the important place occupied by wool in the war. Both countries produce more 'crossbreds than nne wools (as New Zealand does) ana crossbred wools, are required.for uniforms. The finer wools of Australia and South Africa can be used for such purposes, but for economical and tecnnical reasons strong wools are preferrsd. Argentina and Uruguay between them produce something like 550,000,000 pounds of wool a year; and the percentage of strong wools, taking Argentina as a basis, is 33 per cent, coarse crossbreds, '21 per cent, medium, , 34 per cent, fine, and 12 per cent, merinp. Whether United States wool interests will be represented in the reported purchase transaction is yet to be disclosed; but much South American wool was purchased last month on United States account; and it was estimated that 70 per cent, of the American woollen mills' orders executed were for men's-wear fabrics for the United States Government. Great weights of fine wools are already stored in the United States for the British control. , This not only relieves pressure on warehouse space for accommodation of coarse wools but constitutes a valuable security (estimated at £14,000,000 sterling) against dollars, if necessary or desired. Should the British trade mission acquire South American wools the transaction might be welcomed by their producers who now find markets on the continent closed by the British blockade. Latest returns of the distribution of South American clips for 1938-39, compiled by Dalgety's, show that Argentine shipments were as follows:—United Kingdom, 37.1 per cent; Continent, 40.1 per cent.; United States, 16.3 per cent. Those for Uruguay show that 75.3 per cent, of the shipments were for the Continent, 12.9 per cent, for the United States, and only 8.4 per cent, for the United Kingdom. However, since the war the United States, has taken from South America already much wool that formerly went to Germany. Reports to September 1 last show that the United States bought 42 per cent, of the wool of both Argentina and Uruguay this season. The British woollen manufacturer is not only engaged on war material, but is also endeavouring to profit by elimination of Continental competitors for civilian fabrics in overseas markets. The British civilian population will still have to be clothed, although for various reasons it may have to reduce its wardrobe and "make do." But the Government is concentrating as much as practicable on what may be called "the export front" and affording facilities for the export trade in British woollen goods as for other manufactures.