The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-21
WORLD TRADE FOR
SOUTHERN COTTON
Roosevelt Urged to Have Created Commission
to Extend Foreign Markets For
Cotton Products.

, received the attention which it desery-
ed from Congress.
'We beg that the Recommendation
be renewed in a special message to
Congress and we do so as the spokes-
men of the Southern Interstate Cot
ton Convention held in New Orleans,
last month, which unanimously adopt
ed resolution directing this commit
tee to submit the question of how to
enlarge the markets for our cotton
products to your attention.
The interest Of no Two classes are
more closely allied, nor so mutually
dependent as the cotton producers and
cotton manufacturers. One cannot
thrive at the expense of the other.
There is some middle ground, where
the entire cotton industry will find u
stable basis, and where labor with the
manufacturer and producer will find
just remuneration for it's efforts. Mr..
President, the full value of raw ma
terial is only obtained when manufac-
tured nearest the point where that raw
material is produced. We are proauc-
ing far more food and clothing mate
rial than We need for home consunip-
ton. and we must either curtail pro-
ductiOn or find outside markets for the
surplus; the latter we believe can be
done with profit and justice to all and
with injury to none. We believe that
the South is not afflicted with over
production in it's cotton industry, but
that under proper methods of distribu-
tion there is a market for all that we
can produce Take as an example
China, which imported in 1903 cotton
manufactures of the value of $4,000
600, to which the contribution of the
United States amounted to only $500.
600 or a little over one-tenth. For
the calendar year 1904, there was q
considerable Improvement. the amount,
of our expoptssef cotton cloth to CHINA
reaching $14, 100000. During the last
six months of the year the value oil
these exports was $4,000, 900, and if
this standard could be maintained, as
it seems likely to be. the figures for
the present year would obviously be
as much in excess of those of 1904 as
the latter exceeded those of 1903. 1t
may seem that a trade which grows
al the rate of so per cent per annum
is not much in need of special encour-
agement or promotion. But, rapidly
, as the demand for American cotton is
growing in China, that demand still
represents an insignificant fraction of
the consuming capacity of the vast
, population of the empire. Even at the
present rate of export We are sending
but little more than the equivalent of
one yard of cotton cloth per head of
the Chinese population was equal to
that of the United States, there would
not be cotton enough grown in the
world to supply it. You, Mr.. Presi-
dent, have done your utmost to pre-
serve the boundless possibilities of this
market for American commerce and
industry by your steadfast and resolute
adhesion to the policy of the OPEN
door--of equality of commercial op-
Dortunity for all nations in the Far
East. The question seems pertinent
why cannot the exporters and manu-
facturers of the United States do the
rest. without further aid or co-opera>
ton from their government. The
answer is to be found in the peculiar
conditions which surround the intro
duction of foreign goods into the inte-
rior of China. 1t is the testimony of
all who have studied the success from
actual observa ton that China's trade
possibilities are immeasureab BILE; that
foreign trade has merely scratched
the surface of them, and that the great
majority of the Chinese are familiar
neither with foreigners nor foreign
products.
Attention was called to the reports
of the Blackburn (English) and
Lyons Japanese-Frenchl commits
sioners on Chinese trade and continu-
ing. the address. said:
among the circumstances that
have tended to stimulate the recent
demand for American cotton cloth in
China is, unquestionably. the influx
of foreign capital, which is being ex-
pended in the construction of rail-
roads and the opening of mines. The
influx is bound to continue and to in
crease in volume, and a very large
amount OF credit for the result is
due to the fact that. in response TO
the appeal of the government of the
United States, the nations of the
world have agreed, in the most un-
euuivocal terms, TO respect the in
tegrity of the Chinese empire. While
the menace of dismemberment hung
over China, there could be neither
commercial confidence within nor
faith in the security of investment
from without. The establishment OF
both marks the opening of a new
era in the history of CHINA pregnant
with momentous results for the COM
merce of the world. and. not least
among the nations for the commerce
of the United States. That care
ful study by competent men OF the
new conditions which mark the dawn
of the new day in China would bring
out facts of the highest value to the
manufacturers and merchants OF the
United States. and particularly TO
those engaged in the production ana
distribution of cotton fabrics does
not admit of question. 1t is eight
years since any well equipped COM
mercial commission went through
China and the reports of the Black
burn Commission Of Lancashire cot
ton soinncrs and Of the Lyons Com
mission of French silk manufacturers
maintain the most authoritative
guides we have to the possibilities OF
trade with the great unexploited
markets of the interior of the en-
pire. Ii is the turn of America to
a he x,t and 0orttr,tt<, f1.., ,.1,;oI,