When World War II began, many Americans were 1917-wise, outsmarted themselves by buying up staple groceries in which they expected a famine. A squirrel's panic (TIME, Sept. 23) forced price rises and even trade shortages in flour, canned goods, lard, and especially sugar, which rose from 4.40¢ to 5.75¢ a pound in one week. But by last week few housewives were laying by sugar any more. And speculators wondered whether sugar is still a good short sale. The beet price had fallen to a new all-time low, just .04¢ below the 3.426¢...
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