The Washington herald., 1909-05-02

Washington occupies peculiarly sig
nihcant relation 10 the Southern states.
That relation involves more than the
mere fact that il IS the Capital Of the
aation and the storm center OF It's Do
litical activities. This relation touches
ur6n the social Interests and the com
mercial progress Of the region in which
II Is geographically situated
Washington stands Al the head OF
navigation on the Potomac River. and
such Is. the connection between land and
water transportation that this city is the
strategic point OF both. Traffic between
the South and the Northeast must pass
through Washington As fact. all such
traffic sent By rail passes over the rail-
road bridge between the District OF Co
lumbia and the Potomac freight yards
in Virginia
Gateway to the south.
This city. therefore. Is the natural
northeastern gateway 20 The South. Il
was in recognition OF this fact that South
e-n railroads and Northern railroads ter
inmate here. and that the railroad COM
panies interested have recently expended
nearly S30000.000 in one Of the most elsb-
crate traffic terminals 10 be found in
North America. Traffic men see that
Washington must pay an important part
in the development OF the Southern
States. and they have made preparation
therefor by the expenditure Of these mil
lions o. dollars in a railroad equipment
far greater than many larger and more
important commercial cites possess.
Being thus gateway 20 traffic. the
Inference necessarily follows that IN
Washington. or in its immediate vicinity.
must grow into being a large and active
manufacture and an important wholesale
jcbbing. and commercial business The
manufacture may be on the Virginia side
OF the river and the wholesale business
NAV in time come 20 be Centered fn Alex
andria. but that this point on the Poto-
rlac River is 10 BE- AZ some time in the
future one Of the large commercial man
ufacturinE and trade ceBters OF the
United States is written large upon the
railroad ana steamship map OF our COun-
try.
Why the Movement Starts
Il matters little that Washington has
never been suIIied by the CRIME Of smoke
or its population made sordid In associa-
tion with the counting room and the
financial district Il matters not that the
factories are still 70 be built They viii
bc built just as surely as they have az
Chicago. Buffalo, Philadelphia. Norfolk.
s., Louis. and New Orleans. for about
tho same reasons that brought them
earlier 10 those places
The South in future years will look
more and moro 70 Washington for its
trade supplies. its products OF manufac-
ture. and its financial accommodations
The movement has only started. and
once started il viii grow with amazing
rapidity in these modern DAYS. The erec-
tion Of the steel plant AZ the mouth OF
the Anacostia River. the abattoir now
under construction near Rossiyn. the
building Of the branch line Of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad into Georgetown.
and the purchase Of the site for the pump
works above Alexandria on the Virginia
side OF the river. which viii occupy about
three acres. are the present indications
of the manner in which this movement is
coming on.
Commercial Congress Comes.
Possibly the most important straw Of
al. showing the direction OF the wind.
commercially speaking, is the selection
Of Washington for the headquarters Of
the Southern Commercial Congress. which
has for It's avowed object the exploita-
tion OF the resources. riches. and CONNER
cisI upbuilding Of the Southern States
This Congress selected Washington As
the vantage point Of It's operations. has
cTa
viii soon Rrect the building. and It's man
ayers are at the present moment col
lecting an endowment fund for the enter
prise of sl.oo0.000. The eyes Of the South
are turned 10 the Northeastern gateway
as the place Of entrance for the goddess
Of prosperity, whose presence wiII shower
blessings upon the workers Of that region
Washington. apart from its political
entity. is a Southern city. Il Is. oE-eoUrse.
upon the northern border. bu1 its posi-
ton. a large part Of its people. its sentie
ment, and its social affiliations are South
eTn. II has always been so. True. the
city has taken on many cosmopolitan
ways. IL VIII naturally be a world city in
daTS To come. il viii be the Mecca OF the
American as vel as the Traveller from
other parts Of the globe, but 70 all in
tents and purposes il Is and VIII be a
Southern city
SOuthernerS Look This Way.
washington. through The Department OF
Agriculture and other bureaus Of the
government, must be the point from
which Southerners VIII seek help and in
spiration for the development Of its pIan-
tatiOns and its industries Of all kinds
Through government publication much Of
this information is already 6Iferirg
through the South but through the Com
mercial Congress and By other means
this information hereafter will be sent
there by methods which viii prove raors
effective and popular
The Southern man is about 10 become
a better informed man He viii be a
closer student Of his business in relation
10 the general progress of the time and
OF the region and world Of which he
forms a part. In the place Of restricted
local ideas. he viii gradually take IN
Stale. sectional. and national views Of
larger scope His efforts viii gain twice
IN effectiveness. and he viii arrive AZ the
consciousness Of belonging 10 a thriving
town. q growing county. q progressive
state. al advancing division Of TIE sis
terhood Of States. and TO a nation taking
its place IN the forefront Of the big world
powers
This VII mostly come 10 the Southern
nan through Washington. and il is from
co-sfu1ed IN Pare . CoEumr