The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-31
TO GROW COTTON
IN THE S0UDAN
SCHEME OF GREAT BRITAIN.
BRITISH MANUFACTURERS FEAR
AMERICAN CONSUMPTION.

1am Results Looked for in Atric1.
Leigh Hunts Enterprise in the
Nile VaIIey-wiu Seek Immigra-
tiOn of Labor From This Country.
Booker Washington Interested.
Washington, Jan. 30.-The phenome-
nal rise in the price Of cotton during
this year has aroused the cotton-spin-
ming interests of England to a very
lively realization of their dependence
upon the United States for the raw
material of their industry. OF all the
manufactured exports of the United
Kingdom, cotton goods are chief in i'm
portance, and any sign of disaster to
ahat industry, or any curtailment Of
its natural expansion, commands the
attention not only of the manufacturers
Immediately interested, but of the
statesmen and financiers and all who
have concern for the prestige and rank
of England as an industrial power.
1t is a fact that for the last fifteen
years the cotton manufacturing indus
try of England has been almost at a
standstill while rival interests have
been developing in the United States
and elsewhere. Eighty per cent. Of
the raw cotton produced in the world is
grown in the United States, and the
cotton spinners of the United States
are requiring a constantly increasing
share of il. They are increasing their
exports of cotton goods but more inn
portant than these gains is the in
creasing consumption of cotton goods
within the United States by the grow
ing population of this country.
Fear American Consumption.
The cotton spinners of England have
been watching the growing consump-
1ion of raw material by their COM
petitors in this country until they can
anticipate a time in the not far distant
future when this cOuntrys entire crop
will be wanted by the mills at home.
The sudden rise in price in 1903 en-
phasized and brought home these con-
ditions and the danger to the British
manufacturer and the bread-winners
dependent upon his mills They realize
how serious a matter to them would
be even a partial failure of the crop
in the United States, and they are i'm
pressed as never before that their de-
pendence upon one country affords an
opportunity for Cornering the supply
and manipulating the price.
The significant growth of the new
Imperial sentiment" among the Brit
ish people has fostered the desire to
produce within the Empire, as much
as possible, the things the Empire con-
sumes. There is now a widespread and
profound belief among the British cot
ton spinners that the only salvation of
their trade is Britishgrown cotton.
By this it is not meant that British
will at least within any,
thing like the near future, altogether
take the place of American grown cot
ton. The hope and expectation is
that the British product will be sup
Elemental to the supply drawn from
the United States. 1t is argued thai
this supplemental British supply VII
not only meet the expected shortage
in American cotton, but will prevent
the cornering and manipulation oil
American cotton.
Cotton Growing in the Soudan.
The British Cotton Growing Associa-
ton, with headquarters at Manchester
is raising a fund, to which $l5O'OOO Is
already subscribed but which it is pro-
posed to make $250000 for the purpose
of conducting experimental farms II
different regions where cotton culture
promises we'll The government Is II
full sympathy with the movement ano
it Will give it all possible aid.
The most important results are hopec
for in Africa by an increase of the
Egyptian crop and the development oil
the industry in the Soudan. The Won
derful system of water storage and IT.
rigation recently established on the
Nile under British auspices, has greatly
increased the acreage of cotton cult
walton. James Boyle, United State;
consul at Liverpool, in recent report
TO the Department of Commerce anC
Labor, notes the claim that there art
m6llions of SEres of cotton growing
land in the Soudan, and that when tht
projected railways are completed 9
very large area will at once be put un.
der cultivation. The qualities which
can be grown are similar to Egyptian
and even of a better fibre, it is claimed
He says that fair quantity of cottor
from the Soudan is expected at Liver.
pool and Manchester this season. The
first consignment of Soudanese cottot
recently arrived at Cairo from Khar.
toum and was declared to be superior
in mercerizing qualities and in strength
to the best Egyptian"
The Soudan, unlike Egypt, is actually
British territory and much of the lant
is subject to disposal by the British
government so that here the mos
rapid development may be expected
now being taken by the construction OF
a railway from Suakin, a port on the
Red Sea, to Berber on the Nile a dis.
lance of about 300 miles. The Red Sea
is one of the great highways of the
world and once on its shores any staple
of commerce is within the reach OF
market.
The prospects for the development OF
the Soudan have a special interest in the
United States aside from the import.
ance that country may assume as &
competitor of ours, because the mos
extensive and systematic plans for ex.
plotting that region have originated
with and are directed by an American
capitalist
Leigh Hunts Enterprise.
Mr.. Leigh Hunt, at one time presi
dent OF the Iowa Agricultural College
a man of large means, known on in,
Pacific coast of the United States a.
the owner of the Seattle Post Intelli
gence. and in recent years at the heaC
of extensive enterprises in Asia, sDen
the winter of 1929 in Egypt for tn,
purpose Of recovering his health, anC
became interested in the resources ant
industries of the country, and Dartic.
ularly in the gigantic enterprise Vhic!
the British government has had under
way for increasing the productivercs5
of the valley of the Nile the great dan
al Assuan and the railway from fine
Red Sea to the Nile. Mr.. Hunt wa,
greatly impressed by the possibilities OF
the upper Nile valley and it's ready
accessibility when the railway wa.
completed. Before he left Egypt nj,
plans were determined upon, and dur.