The Washington herald., 1913-03-15
GREAT future
FOR THE SOUTH.
Claude n. Bennett Lectures
Before National Geographic
Society Members. !,
PANAMA CANAL NEEDED ]
Most Of Cotton Produced in 'DiIe"
Yet he Price Is Fixed
In LiveYuooI.
PANAMA CANAL NEEDED

Any one hearing Claude N. Bennett,
founder of the Congressional Informa-
ton Bureau, lecturing on ''The South
To-day and Tomorrow before the Ma
tional Geographic Society at the New
Masonic Temple yesterday afternoon and
last evening would have been led to
the conclusion that there is no land In
the whole world so vastly blessed with
natural resources and boundless possi-
bilities as the Southland. Mr.. Bennett
expatiated at length on the glories and
beauties Of the South. and his lecture,
which was illsutrated with numerous
lantern slides and motion pictures, was
frequently interrupted by enthusiastic
applause.
The lecturer impressed it on the minds
of his audience that 1t Is the first duty
of any traveller to know his own coun-
try. He referred to the great benefit the
South will derive from the building of
the Panama Canal. which will bring the
great ports of the world from 1000 to
5000 miles nearer to this country. In
speaking of the immense trade possibil-
tiles with foreign countries, Mr.. Ben
nett said our exporters and manufactur-
ers should take the advice Of our consuls
in foreign lands and furnish foreign
countries with the kind of goods they
want and how they want them.
There is tendency among our Amer
lean exporters" continued Mr.. Bennett,
ito suit themselves instead of suiting
their foreign customers"
Cotton Is King.
Speaking of the cotton industry, Mr.
Bennett said there are 5000 900 people en-
gagged in the cotton industry. and that
cotton Is the greatest article of clothing
in the world; that the annual cotton crop
Of the South is worth about 81 0O0. 900, D. };
that the Southern States produce more
than two-thirds of all the cotton pro-
duced in the world; that they are max
ing peanut brittle out OF cotton seeds.
and that most of the olive oil sold to-
day is nothing but cotton seed oil.
And yet, with all this preponderating
Importance of the South as a cotton land
the price of the article is fixed in Liver
pool" continued the speaker. IF our
cotton farmers had the same spirit rs
the heads of our trusts, they could set
their own price and could have the whole
world at their feet
The Southern ports. according to the
speaker. are growing more rapidly than
any other in the United States, Savannah
being the largest naval stores port in the
world. Referring to rice culture in the
South. Mr.. Bennett scored the people of
the North, who, he said. did not know
how to prepare rice for the table and
old not even Know now to eat II. The
cattle industry brings about 500 900 900 to
the South every year. and another S115.
ooo.00O is derived from the dairy industry
The South also produces about three
fourths of the tobacco grown In the
United States. Showing some of the fine
roads Of France on the screen, Mr.. Ben
nett declared that the bad roads in the
United States were responsible for Amer
lean automobilists spending annually
about $50. 900 In Europe. Another pic
ture showed convicts at work in the
South building public roads. Speaking OF
convict labor. Mr. Bennett expressed
hopes that Congress would soon pass a
law preventing convict labor from COM
peting with free labor. The lecturer paid
a high tribute to Clifford Pinchot and
all those men who are interested in the
preservation of the forests and conserva-
ton of natural resources.