Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-09-30
WIRE C0T7OW THREAD CONES EPOT- @AW
TNE GREAT COILS WILLS

II we turn aside for a moment
from the paradox and irony or spinners in lancashire
st. Gall or Chemnitz, 5000 miles and more from q cotton
held, turning out finished cotton garments for many
peoples including some of the Americans who grew the
raw material, we can admire the value of cotton goods
massed in the great world movements of trade. From
the factories of Europe and Japan countless ships
carry increasing cargoes of cotton fabrics to every civil!
lized port, Goods woven of this staple constitute a vast
proportion Of the merchandise hauled by train across ali
continents, and where modern methods of TRANSPORTATION
pause primitive and picturesque carriers take up the bur.
den Oh the worlds cotton output and trudge with these
goods to eager customers along the most remote frontiers
Cotton cloth payes the way for Christianity in the iungles
of the Dark Continent; to the savages of the CONGO cotton
cloh Is more precious than ivory or gold. Under the midi
night sun arctic dogs drag sleds laden with cotton goods
The condor and the eagle look down wonderjnglv non
pack trains carrying the product of European cotton mills
across the Andes. The yak goes burdened with cotton
goods into Tibet. Godowns along Chinese streams p
stored with cotton goods awaiting shipment. and to the
upper reaches of the Yang-tse and Hoang-ho the nativa
Chinese trader on his junk carries cotton cloths and gar.
ments to interior tribes. Burros laden with cotton goods
from England and Germany pick their way across the
mountains of Mexico. The elephants of India and the
'camels of the Levant and Egypt carry cotton goods. ,
And the unique and almost unbelievable fact is that
this incredible volume of traffic in cotton goods is engi-
neered by countries that do not and cannot raise the raw
supply. The energy and ambition of Europe and Japan
are pledged to transporting cotton goods to the remotest
door, but America, which furnishes the manufactured
product and makes possible the commercial invasion of
the world, has little share in the profit from that conquest.
The contest among the powers to-day is for trade and
cotton in some form is the chief commodity carried. AS
never before in history, the ships that cross and recross
the sea "are weaving the warp and the wool of the :,
worlds civilization The ships of western Europe go
forth laden with cotton goods. England leads in the
mighty world traffic. That kingdom has had the far
seeing wisdom to provide cheap transportation between
the factories of England and the consuming countries.
And Germanys wonderful rise to rivalry is due to the
clear vision that sees the future of it's empire on the
sea. The new successes of Japan are founded upon the
multiplying exports from its cotton mills. The Sunrise,
Kingdom is actually selling abroad more cotton goods
than silk, and hitherto silk has been commercially SUI! =
preme in the far east. In fact. cotton goods constitute
the most important factor in the commerce of every
great country except America.
There is portent of great and revolutionary changes
in the worlds trade in cotton goods. 1t is inconceivable
that other nations can go on at the expense of America, .
winning trade triumphs with a commodity which they
do not naturally possess, which they cannot obtain in
sufficient quantities outside of the United States, and
which they could not manufacture at a profit but for the
fact that we sell the product near and, at times, even
below the cost of raising it, There is no logical reason
why the United States should sell Europe only $4,O0O,OO0
worth of finished cotton goods a year while that part
of the world exports to us more than ~$50,000,000 worth.
And there is no logical reason why it should continue
to be possible and profitable for a little ~halffrozen coun-
try on the roof of Europe to reach out to America, pur-
chase hundreds of thousands of bales of cotton, and,
after carrying them across the Atlantic, ship them back
to the United States in finished form and in quantities
amounting in value to $4,000 900 in a year.
We have been uniustifably jubilant regarding our
foreign trade. We do sell abroad enormous quantities
of goods and materials, but in respect to cotton it is
largely the raw product, on which there is little profit.
Alone of all the Industrial nations the United States is
not an important factor in the sale Of cotton goods to
mankind. For instance, of the International demand for
cotton yarns we supply less than onethird Of one per
cent.
Here is the record, up to the date of writing, disclos-
ing Americas unsuccess as an international trader in
cotton goods:
IMPORTS N EXPORTS OF COTTON GOODS FOR
THE TEN MoNTHs ENDING OCTOBER, 1908.
imports Of Cotton Cloths, Dyed, Unbleached, Painted, Etc.
From
England $500, 45S
France 517047
Germany S29S19
Switzerland 1850
Other Europe 228y818
Japan S0,526
Other countries 1897
@&M -----
Total .~$7,l6O,S20