The Washington herald., 1909-07-04
IL - - So o..

The world faces South to-day.
The story OF the commercial and IN
dustrial progress made in recent years
by the section south OF Mason and Dix
on's line reads Ike some dazzling 70
nance The yet vaster Potentialities OF
this section make a modern fairy tale
which outstriPs the Imagination OF a
8funchaUsen-
in Maryland. Alabama, the VIrginias,
Kentucky, and Tennessee. thousands OF
square miles Of rich coal and iron lands.
exceeding IN area those Of Great Brit
ian. France. Germany. and Russia COM
bined, await the magic wand OF capital
and enterprise. and already Alabama
names the price OF pig iron 70 the world
The forest wealth OF the South Is sew
en-tenths OF that Of the entire United
States.
Thousands OF acres Of land IN The
great Southwest whica have as yet never
been touched by the plow. are capable
Of yielding millions worth OF produce.
Time was when cotton was the only
king in toe South. but now numbers OF
other agricultural interests. still in their
infancy. are already commanding royal
tribute IN dollars and cents.
Fruit Brings Profit.
Last year the fruit and vegetable IN
dustry OF the South nstted that section
a neat S150. 10000 pocket change
Thriving towns IN Mississippi Louis
lana. and Texas owe thel- existence 20
the rice industry In South Carolina
the picking of strawberries alone re-
quires each year 10000 men. women.
and children Kentucky and other
States contribute 6o0.o00.000 OF the S09.-
COO pounds OF tobacco grown IN Amer
lea.
Georgia has eight OF the nine different
climate belts which the Department q
+ Agriculture las named IN this country.
! and there is hardly a fruit, vegetable
l other agricultural product that cannot
I be probably grown in her broad fields.
! In Florida, 5000 worth Of tobacco may
1 be grown annually on a single acre %
2 land. and twelve acres IN celery has been
known 10 produce a crop worth S2e.00o
! In North Carolina recently the price of
$1,000 was refused for a lettuce patch
/ OF fifteen acres.
/ An unsurpassed water power. estimated
/ between S.00o.000 and 100000 horsepower.
when developed viii manufacture cloth
/ IN the midst OF the cotton field, and the
wealth OF the South as an agricultural
region viii be increased almost beyond
I credulity by its wealth as manufsctur-
7 ing region. Already the products of
Southern factories have reached large
figures
( When the inland waterways Of the
7 Gulf States are developed. a net work OF
rivers VIII AFFORD 10 the produce Of land
and the output Of factory transportation
7 20 magnificent ports strung Ike pearls
along the Gulf coast And as the crown
I ing climax IN the commercial evolution OF
i the South. the completion OF the Panama
Canal VIII make these ports. Pensacola
7 New Orleans. Mobile. GuIfport. Galveston.
and others, the trade centers OF the
world.
Cotton the Great Asset.
II would be easy 70 enumerate in
definitely the coal. iron. mineral. timber.
and agricultural resources OF this land
Of promise. but these may truly be said
70 be only incidentals in the sum OF its
vast wealth Cotton Is the South's great
asset. an asset on which she holds
practically a world monopoly. In South
America and the Orient the staple groWs
only IN limited quantity and inferior quail
/ ity. and q Is the Southern States that
Z produce the crop upon which the trade
OF the world Is built The crop OF 1907
was valued al S7l6o00.oo0 OF which Sao0.-
0o.Oo0 worth was sold 70 Europe.
/ The cotton industry is stu in its IN
fancy. and holds greater possibilities than
I any industry n the world today When
\ the South manufactures cotton on the
l field Of production; when millions OF dol
I lars now wasted in loose methods OF
( planting. hoeing and grinuing are saved.
7 end every acre Is made. by scientific cui-
tivatiOn, 20 double its present yield. the
/ southern farmer viii hold the purse
strings OF the world
Progress in Education.
The educational progress OF the south
has been in no sense commensurate with
the lines OF commerce and industry. Yet
the educational renaissance now stirring
al the heart and conscience OF the South
ern people IS one OF the most interesting
phases Of Southern development IN ad-
dition 10 the problem OF negro education.
and there are now over 2500.001 negro
children in the common schools, the
South faces a problem more grave and
equally expensive.
This is the task Of removing the stain
OF total MiJeracy from It's thousands o.
mountain whites. WhU. though the pur-
est Anglo-Saxon stock on American soil,
are dwelling in the remoteness OF the
mountains in poverty and ignorance more
appalling than any which ever held fl
thrail the negro race.
Again. educational problems are inten-
SIZED by the fact that the rural districts
Of the South are still. 10 a great extent.
undeveloped. and sparsely settled. In
view Of these and other difficulties. the
Southern states are expending a. per cent
OF their revenues on education. and COM
pulsOry education is coming 70 the front
as an issue in many legislative bodies.
Leads in Reforms.
Along the lines OF reform and human
betterment the conscience Of the South
is particularly alert The most spectae-
ular reform movement ever launched in
America is the experiment IN prohibition
now being made BIZ the Southern States.
A solid area OF % S5 square miles. with
population OF 9.5l0.72a souls IS under
prohibition government IN the South. and
even IN States which permit the sale %
liquor prohibition prevails. 10 a large
extent by local option South Carolina
Continued on PaEe 2, Column z.