Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-09
SOUTH'S GREATNESS
DAWES THEME
Managing Director of Southern
Commercial Congress Strikingly
Tells of Advantages Which Will
Bring Commercial Supremacy.

BRING OOumeIC dd1 SUPP OAh"SJ'
G. Grosvenor Dave, managing director
of the Southern Commercial congress-
made an address Wednesday on the po-
tential greatness of the southern stales'
before the meeting of the Southern Coih-
mercial Secretaries association W.
Dave said in part:
Viewed from the point of coastllne'
ii is well to understand that the south-
ern states possess an enormous aoVahIase
over the other two-thirds of the Onlte"
States; for the coasJline Of the south-
ern states is 3,OO7 miles, while the eoas seo
line of the north Atlantic states is 00S
miles; of the Pacific coast. lrOoi mics,
THE natural advantages of coasthhe
are already asserting their influence Iot
we are able to say that southern POI
still holds the second position Tor exports
among all the ports of the United states
New Orleans in 1900 and now soutnern
port that nine years ago was Wrec csNt,1
and rent by storm-the port OF 6aA-.
weston, -. -.
1--WE are able to show you that the
exports along the gulf now exceed the ex-
ports OF Philadelphia and Boston py o.
per cent and they equal more than "
per cent of the total which belongs 10 the
oyershadowing port Of New hork. Ane
tables of exports for 1900 and 1908 snow
that q per cent growth in exports mas
taken place in New York. Fhladelp ',ll-a
and Boston regarded together Durlhs
this same time the gun eAPOi'S
creased 81 per cent.
INCREASED 81 PER CENT.
.Tp the matter of imports-goods com.
ing 70 America for distribution, you WIN
and that while the three great ports
above mentioned have increased u per
cent the southern ports have ncrea N'7'I
97 ner cent Is 1t not reasonable 10 claila
that the southern states, by reason Oh
their coastline are. coming TO occupy on
important relation to the marlliihe
of the United StatesE III .Lis
'sWhen we consider also that all tnlE
swing of commerce is taking place prior
to the completion of the Panama cahal
ard that the Panama canal will help u
nil southward every inter-oceanlc move
r,apt Won must realize that the southern
rorts will be on the very front ooorsIeF
Of the worlds future commercial IiloNe-
ments. -, 49,. os tba
1--WE also declare that the rivers Oh the
south. navigable, and therefore SOME uaS
10 be brought into cooperation WIN 80
snergetic men of the south, are more tna 1I
80. = enc vvhen compared with any oth-
/ - ,o,+io, Of the United States. me ma
.tonal conservative commission mas 70,
norted that there are IN the
Sta+es navigable streams amounting :"
Se a1o miles. How much of this Is IN lhe
south? over 1928 miles ,,,,do =
"This enormous total does nol in r11..le+s
single mile of the Ohio though II ,Iitt1o.
southern states through SOO nliIes ot the
aces this total include any poruon % e0
NTIsso,,ri river. If the Mississippi De re-
corded as a feeder for the gur coIniner =,
e. ,,ot,eaqe should be 1864 miles. rms
Iaovas onlv 2T19 miles OF naVlsaole
s+reams TO AFFECT the commercial pros
meets of the remaining two-thiros Oh 'no
United States. +ha
''The vast Appalachian rahse,
Greatest mountain range In the Oh'eo
States living within the region OF plen-
t,frI rainfall. is producing, at present IN
ha~Dassed every moment of every Jay
Ave million horsepower. The day is com
ing when, through conservation impulses
this water will be used 10 drive the
wheels of industry and OF transpoLlatlon
throughout the south, thus inoenntey
extending the life of power buried no"
In the coal fields of the south
THINK OF THIS.
..r, ,,o,, look at the estimates regard
inc the iron ore life of the United States
YOU will see that the Southern Appalaeh-
ian region is expected to endure q nun
dred wears after the Lake Superior re-
zion Is stripped and exhausted. Yet, with
ali the advantages belonging TO the
southern extremity of the Appalachlahs'
advantages so great that Birmingham
sets the price of pig iron, yet at present
only about 10 per cent of the pig iron OF
the limited states is made in the south.
Then look at the size and energy OF Bir-
rninsham-the Birmingham district, Chat-
! tanooga and other cities in Tennessee ana
in Alabama dependent upon iron ore. then
realize that their marvellous growth 10
present dimensions has come through the
| creation of merely 10 per cent Of the pig
! iron of the United States, Then let your
! imagination run riot and picture to your
I self what will be the development OF
| those portions of the country when. In
| stead of 10 per cent, they are producing
90 per cent of the pig iron OF the United
! States and largely giving that iron its
| final form.
THE southern states as whole pos
/ sess more general accessibility TO coast
! line, and therefore TO the commerce OF
/ the world, than either of the other thirds
of the United States. IA string and
I pin wheel will enable you to prove this
! Yo unen who think on commercial sub
/ jects do not need that should detail to
= you the advantages that rest with
portion Of the country that can by sta
! tistical and governmental proof declare
/ that II has more cOastline, more naVlga~
, BILE streams, more water power, more min
erals conveniently arranged. more agricul-
! tural range, more forests, more cheap
! land, more accessibility TO ports than any
: third of the union.
"The meaning of this summing up OF
! southern opportunities is this; and none
: but the blind will fail to see IL: That
! there is to be a time when the United
! States, as a whole, must have the sup
port and development Of the southern
states. 1t means that without
/ this our nation will never
! reach it's full greatness. 1t means
/ this, also, that as sure as the sun shall
! rise tomorrow there is to come a period
/ of commercial development in the south
compared with which the past growth
has been but the tottering footsteps of an
| infant. These are not words of boast
! ing or of bombast but they are serious
! words, based upon the incontrovertible
| evidence of the south's resources and
| what those resources must lead to-"