The Washington herald., 1910-06-17

Southern commercial bodies are felici-
tating themselves. and righteously. on
the remarkable showing made by Dixie
In the Annual Review of Foreign Com
merce recently issued by the Department
OF Commerce and Labor.
Figures. usually. are dull and uninter-
esting things. but the following are so
Significant and Impressive that they are
wei worthy OF serious study and
analysis:
Comparing the exports Of 1859 and 1902,
Il is found that those from Gulf ports
have increased 10 per cent IN the ten
years The exports from Atlantic ports
Increased only u per cent during the
same period. OF the seventeen Atlantic
ports showing either large or small in
creases during the ten years. seven are
Southern ports. The greatest increase in
exports made by any one Of the seven
was SO. e70,5S4, at Savannah, Ca, showing
a growth Of more than III per cent over
1889. The greatest proportionate increase
was made by ST. Johns, Fla. (the district
of jacksonville, which showed an in
crease of over 100 per cent. The other
noteworthy increases were Wilmington,
n, G, 10 per cent; Fernandii.a. Fla. i02
per cent. and Brunswick, Ca, % per cent,
Another matter worthy OF cheerful con-
sideration Is that whereas In 1899 the ex-
ports from the Gulf ports equaled only
p per cent of the exports from Atlantic
ports, In 1863 they equaled IL per cent.
The import figures for the ten years
prove a closer touch OF Southern ports
with the commerce of the world; for
while Atlantic ports increased in the
ten years 70 per cent Gulf ports increased
go per cent.
"The total commerce Of the South At
lantic ports now overtop total imports
and exports at Boston or at Philadelphia.
The Cali ports exceed by s10o,0o0,00o the
total imports and exports of all North
Atlantic ports except New York; the
Gulf imports and exports now equal SO l-S
per cent Of the total imports and exports
of New York.
In the year 1903 the domestic exports
Of the United States show that cotton.
manufactured. alone represented 25.4S
per cent OF the total; which Is more than
two and a half times the value OF the
next most important export. viz, meat
and dairy products"
IN the light or these statistics. it IS
not al all astonishing that confidence in
the Souths future should be so firm and
so universal IF these conditions prevail
now, what may we not expect 10 happen
in Dixie once the Panama Canal Is
opened 10 the commerce Of the woridy
Absolute commercial supremacy in the
nation IS no idle dream down that way;
absolute commercial supremacy on earth
may not irrationally peep above the hori-
zon Of Dixie's hopes!
Long before the nation at large came
to appreciate the tremendous things going
on in the South. the South itself had
come TO appreciate them and had learned
to govern itself accordingly AS The
Washington Herald has remarked here
tofore. the great factor in the souths
splendid progress OF late years dwens
within its acquired knowledge of the i'm
portance OF keeping its wealth at home
10 as great an extent as possible. It nc
longer goes abroad 10 buy the greater
| bulk OF its necessities, to borrow money
10 get its manufactured products. 1t has
developed from a purely agricultural sec
ton into a mercantile, manufacturing
banking. life and fire insurance section
and It IS striding forward in seven-leagus
boots now. where once it did nothing
much better than struggle.
The South has every reason to congrat-
uiate itself on the business status as
signed it by the Department of Com
/ merce and Labor.