The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-06
EDMONDS TALKS OF
 RESOURCES AND b|G PROGRESS OF SOUTH
Noted Editor Says South Is Nations Greatest Un-
 developed Asset
WHAT IS GOING ON IN
 THE LOCAL DISTRICT
Famous Prophecy of South's Great Development Made By "Pig Iron Kelly" Is Rapidly
 Being Fulfilled

be1ng fulIlIied
 Savannah. March 5.-(speciai.) .)-Richard H. Edmonds, editor of the Manufacture CTS Record, who is in Savannah today on his way to Florida. said while discussing the wonderful material progress of the south and it's influence upon national life. that it might indeed as a result of the
 influence which southern progress Is des- tined to have upon the whole country be said that 6 nation is rounding into form. Continuing, MT. Edmonds added:
 twenty-five years ago the Hon. Will liam D. Kelley of Pennsylvania, in those days familiarly known as Pig Iron Kelley, by reason of his enthusiastic de- votion to the protection of iron, came south and wrote a series of articles on this section for the Manufacturers Rec ord. By reason of Judge Kelleys promf- hence in Congress for many years, and his intense republican procvities. his en- thueiastic comment on the south attract ed wide attention, and his letters were afterward published in book form. In reviewing what he had seen in the south he said of this section: The south is the coming Eldorado of American adventure.'
 Tn one of his personal letters to me. phasing his views in regards to the im- portance to southern upbuilding. he said: The development of the south means the enrichment of the nation.' This has been carried since that day to the present moment of southern development.
 Truth Strikingly Presented
 Many changes have been wrung upon | Ia l,o t,.;a tla thought in definite worlds but no one has ever yet so epigrammatically and strikngly presented this great truth did Judge Kelly when he said, The de- velopment of the south means the enrich- ment of the nation. He had in mind mere than material development, as he realized that so long as the south re- mained in the poverty and the lack of in- dustra development which followed the war, 1t could never be in harmony with the broadest nationallsm of other sections. Its very poverty and the cause which produced that poverty would necessarily. as fornerly. keep the south ont os touc.s with the rest of the country. Judge kel- ley saw in the material development which he enthusiastically championed as of national concern that which was ab- solutely essential to the development Of a wcll-rounded national life with equal prosperity in all sections.
 On Broad Ground
 "He championed southern development not alone as of vital importance to the south but he championed it likewise from the broad ground of benefit to the whole country, believing as he did that the de- velopment of the south was just as essen tia to the best interests of the east and west as of the south itself. In the last quarter of a century despite the fact that there are still living many people who have not the broadness of vision that Judge Kelley had wonderful progress has been made in the development through out the north of a realization of the truth which he so forcedly expressed. The country at large has indeed to come to a realization of the fact that the hroadest utilization of the resources of the south. the most comprehensive deve- opment of it's natural advantages is of national importance. It nas likewise come to an equal realization of the fact that the south is indeed the Eidorado of American adventure, of American enter rrise of American progress. for no- where else In all the world are the re- sources for development so limitless as in this section.
 Merely the Beginning
 What has been achieved in the last quarter of a century is merely the be- ginning of the work of development Ev- cry sign of progress that is now noted from day to day is hut the cuimination Of the WOfk or IHe ldSL ZJ years, VI tHo men, who in industrial pursuits, in rail- road building, in the diversificaton of .arm interest were the pioneers of south ern upbuilding.
 '"The marvellous results which the United States Steel corporation was working out in the Birmin gham dis trict where 1t already has invested over $50, GOO, 900, which possibly will be dou- hled before the present plans of tho company for that district have reached Ax.<lrr hA ,a r. ural progress in the evolution of that section of imperial iron and steel-mak- ing advantages. Twenty-Five years ago one of the pioneers in iron making Tn Birmingham, one of the dreamers who helped bring his dreams to pass. pre- dicted that the time would come when Birmingham, then the butt of ridicule of the iron circles of the north, would become dominant factor in the iron and steel export trade of the country. The dream is being fulfilled for the Steel corporation is already handling large part of it's foreign rail trade from Birmingham, having last year ex- ported through southern ports about | 1000 tons to Argentina. Brazil and other foreign countries. Moreover tho Steel corporation is now constructing at Birmingham a wire plant, the main building of which will cover IS acres. to cost si,00o 900, for making goods largely for tlio foreign trade, and this
  future at an additional outlay of $4- O0O, 900. This is typical of every line of development in the south. It is seen in the cotton mill industry, where the pioneers who worked 25 years ago against many odds laid the founda- tion for the revival of the cotton man. ufacturing as in the Iron industry the hurrah of the early boom period. . condition which nearly always attends the development of any industry of any country, has passed away, and the progress now being made Is based on solid lines. Tn the last quarter of q century this section has been accumu- lating capital and experience for It's real advancement. What 1t has done thus far is merely the pioneering work. II has been busy clearing the forests q and uprooting the stumps which have. hampered it's advancement. busy with the blowing and sowing in the indus trial fields and now is getting ready to reap a rich harvest.
 While working since the war to over come the poverty following that disas- trous struggle it has been doing more to ' upbuild the nation at its own loss than