Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-20
WAR TALK AND BUSINESS
Serious View of the Effect ofWar
 Upon Birmingham.
WILL IT HELP COAL OR IRON :?
Treasurer Bowron of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company Looks Upon
 theAgitation With Deep Regret.

Would war between the United States and Great Britain in any way be of ben eft to Birmingham and the Birmingham industrial district?
 4 great many people have an idea that it would vastly stimulate coal and iron ore mining, and that pig iron manufac- ture would boom and Birmingham again see flush times.
 The town is full of people who have opinions they are quick to express upon the now popular topic; but those who have views that are at once as accurate ly and elegantly expressed, and that are as teeming with thought as those State Herald representative obtained yester- day from MT. James Bowron, treasurer of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company, are scarcer than this writer would, with consideration for the rest of intelligent and wel-informed people. care to tell. ssa
 MT Bowron was approached about the war question and discussed 1t seriously and instructively. He-wa told that 1t was not an uncommon idea here that war would make demand for our coal and iron and consequently stimulate bus mess. He expressed surprise that any QOuJ WdS so IuOuRulleSS dIu lll-lHlOl For himself he had no heart of patience with the flppant halloo-and below about war between this country and England. Without going into the merits of the question involved in the dispute over the Venezuela boundary line he would say that this country was not only deplora- bly, unprepared for war. but that it would positively injure it and set 1t back ten years at least. Although an Englishman by birth Mr. Bowron has been in this country eighteen years and has long been a naturalized citizen; he is re- publican in politics and a redoubtable advocate of the doctrine of tariff protec- ton; but he stoutly contends for America against the world.
 II know too much of the power and re- sources of Great Britain," he said, ito look lightly upon the idea of war with that country. It Is very serious sub iect. It would be very different from disturbance with Argentine or Chilli or Samoa. Think of it England can match the best of our new vessels in armament and everything that makes modern war vessel and have fleets to spare simulta- neously to Lombard Boston, New York. b Bdltimore,, Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and San Francisco. By the time such de- struction cost this country something like $10O0,000 900, which Birmingham would have to help pay it would be learned that it was not matter to be
 
 contemplate the possibility only in the. lurid light of an unmixed calamity to this country, but he said if we must fight he would like to see this country have about three years to get ready; then, by reason of it's resources and the ingenuity of it's people, it could be prepared to cope with any country. Anybody who Is in formed about the almost total lack of coast Notifications of this country, and how much we lack in ordnance, ought to see how grievously short of adequate pre- paration we are to go to war with great power like England: and as to help ing our eoal trade--that was stuff. Eng fish vessels were now consuming Ala bama coal and that would be stopped; and besides, in case of war, war vessels would most likely use anthracite coal to avoid making the conspicuous marks that bituminous coal emitted in it's heavy black clouds of smoke. Again, we would be deprived of the coal trade which all classes of British steam vessels have been supplying, they being now nine-tenths of the consumers. In short, as Mir Bowron devoutly quoted from scripture one member of the body could not be injured but the whole body suffered. The war talk. he said had already had bad ef- feet upon business and securities. Louis- vile and Nashville stock was lower than it had been for four or five years, and nobody could tell what would become of the iron market.