The Washington herald., 1909-02-14
Mr.. Dave Talks About Plans
of Commercial Congress.
WOULD AID WHOLE SECTION
Declares Development of Resources
of Southern States Too Big Task
for the PuBy Efforts of Scattered
Trade Bodies-NationaI Movement
on Broad Lines the solution.

Of the Southern Commercial Congress.
who recently came 10 Washington 70
carry out the purposes Of that body. feels
that he is charged with a great mission
1t is impossible TO talk with Mr. Dave.
even casually, without the impression
that he is deeply in earnest There is a
seriousness in the attitude and words Of
the man suggestive Of the cali OF the
Almighty. 70 the accomplishment Of big
ends
Mr.. Dave believes with the faith Of
the simple child in the development OF the
South along large lines, which viii uiti-
mately make OF that region one Of the
chief centers OF industry and trade in
this country He believes the time ripe
for reaching forth 70 pluck the fruit, and
he has come TO Washington keyed 70 a
high pitch OF endeavor TO accomplish the
work intrusJed 10 him. Concerning that
work. its meaning and scope. Mr. Dave
gays
There Is no personal significance in
connection with my arrival in Wash
iiaton. except as being The ore chosen
BY some Of the commercial leaders Of the
South TO come here and organize the
needed whirlwind campaign for raising
the endowment fund required 10 embOdy
and give force 70 the purpose which lies
back OF the Southern commercial Con
gress.
MY arrival in Washington Is therefore
ignifcant Of a qgsst conviction among
the men Of the South that this effort.
unparalleled IN the commercial history OF
the United States, VIII be a success. For
the men VINO believe in the wisdom and
the power OF this movement are not idle
6reamers OF fancif1l sen6mentalists. but
men who do things successfully.
Since reached Washington on Tues
day, the whole campaign OF effort, fl re-
Iation TO tire endowment, has been
planned out and is ROW IN motion BY
( judgment IS that the entire fund viii be
raised in . short tine, because the plan
: has back cf il an absolutely right idea
based upon a safe commercial invest
uent, that must appeal 10 the financial
/ common sense Of the commercial leaders
Of the South.
It's Meaning to washington.
/ 4 can well understand the exerme IN
iterest with which the men Of Washing
ton. Iargs proportion Of them from
( Southern States. are watching this move
nent and aiding It as far as they can
I It's success means The. permanent beauti-
+ hcation Of one Of the largest parcels o.
ground in the business center Of the city.
+ but beyond this mere investment il means
/ the concentrating here OF a great trade
and industrial movement that cannot be
otherwise than helpful % Washington
/. business enterprises. Il means more than
thar. II. means a permanent monument to
the Initiative and enterprise OF the South
ern States as a whole. II means still
than that-it means the placing OF 81
al8e ea0 of Southern money IN the city u
+ Washinst0n. IN recognition OF the fact
that washington IS the Capital OF the
nation. and the very heart Of the na-
/ tons organized endeavors.
The purpose 10 erect such a Southern
hall of fame and home Of commercial en-
6eavo-, Is a perfectly natural outgrOwth
Of conditions that. largely unnoticec oy
the rest Of the country. have been al
work in the Southern States There are
in the South over 100 commercial bodies.
each in its place working for local de-
{ veioument. and each succeeding. more or
less. For some years past, 1t has been
/ esIfzed by these commercial bodies that
/ the measuring OF effort against results
/ showed a pitiful dispropoTtion- TneTe
J has seemed 70 be a pail hanging over
advertising endeavor and endeavor BY
l truthful printed circulars. Some cities
and towns have spent thousands Of dol
lars on advertising campaigns. whose
results we're simply residual ash. Il IS
natural that ashes should not satisfy
these groups of men who have been
| working so unseIfshly for community
1 growth. Il Is only within the past year
| that there has come a clear understand
ing of what Is the arch-hindrance- II
J can be best summed Up n one word
! ignorance.
VIII Attack Ignorance.
The rest of the country. and the world.
1 for that matter. Is stiH largely ignorant.
/ except statisticaIly. Of the real South It
is impossible for any single commercial
body 10 lift such an incubus. There IS
/ appalling ignorance as 10 health cUndi-
tons. People VIII venture down into VIZ
! g;nis With ;imidity, and as for the CUT
region. a good many Northern people
could not be hired to spend : summer
there. The feet OF the matter IS that
beslth conditions IN the extreme portions
/ Of the South are, on the overage, fine,
and since the Spanish war and the IN
I 6erstanding OF the functions Of StySomia
i fascfata. there Is no danger whatsoever
1 from yellow fever. nor is there even dan
1 ger Of malaria providing houses are
screened The harmful mosquito itself IS
\ positively rare in many portions Of the
South I have just come from one Of
the suburbs OF Montgomery. and there
we're fewer mosquitoes there than IN the
outskirts Of New York City. Then, too.
because the great coastal plain is com
paratively low ..SSing. people think tbat
water must be poor The Softest water
i 10 be found anywhere in the world IS
easily tapped at almost any point IN the
South not underlaid by rocks. The arte-
sian systems now installed in many
Southern cities provide the citizens with
absolutely pure water, freed from the
heavy expense Of reservoir construction
and filtration beds
Soufh's Progress Not Noted.
"The South has suffered and IS still
suffering. from what the public demands
as news A disorderiy performance pro-
vides a long story ard IS read every
where. The progress Of the South along
educational lines. health lines. and gen
ersi betternent is not news. and. there
fore. SO far as the nation IS concerned Il
passes almost uano5ed.
What I have thus far said supplies
excellent reason for this advance upon
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