The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-10-21
our GREAT WEALTH
WONDERFUL NATIONAL ASSETS
OF UNITED STATES.
ALMOST SUPPORTS SELF

In Some Lines There Are Available
Large Surpluses for Protection in
Emergencies Causing Unusual De-
mand-Sugar and Woolen Imports
Are Largest From Other Nations.
A partial inventory of the national
assets of the United States in area,
population, and fundamental factors
Of economic life reveals the fact that
it is not only practically self-support-
ing, but that it possesses, in many
lines, large surplus available for
protection against famine and tenn
porary adversely or for use in meet
ing unusual demands from the out
side world.
Recently the bureau of foreign and
domestic commerce, department OF
commerce, has been receiving hun
dreds of letters from American pro-
ducers and manufacturers making in
quiries regarding possible markets
abroad for their surplus products and
as to the ability of the United States
to supply the raw materials neces-
sary to their industries.
Investigations in connection with
the replies to these inquiries have de-
veloped the fact that in many in.
stances materials now imported from
abroad are of a class found in this
country, the production of which,
however, is still in tie Initial stages.
This is particularly trae ot numerous
basic materials used in the chemical
industries, which were formerly
wasted, but are now partially ut:liA-
ed.
The peculiarly fortunate position
Of the United States in It's ability to
supply it's own needs is clearly seen
from a survey Of its production and
relative contributors to the world
of the great requirements of man
food, clothing, and shelter. 1t is
found, for example, that the people
of the United States may be fed
readily by home-produced foodstuffs,
our vast area of 2-3 million square
miles representing every variety Of
climate and production and being
nearly equal in extent to all Europe
which has a population five times
that of this country.
Agriculture in the United States
has not yet reached the stage OF
scientific development common to
many countries of Europe, and pres
ent domestic production may, there
fore, be expected to increase greatly
with more attention to improved
methods Of culture. Nevertheless
our country already produces over
1-2 billion bushels of corn, or two
thirds Of the worlds supply. This
years wheat crop is estimated at the
high-record figure of Oil million
bushels, about 20 per cent. Of the
world harvest.
The United States also produces
annually over one billion bushels of
oats, or one-hfth of the international
yield, and 1877 million gallons of cot
ton seed oil, representing most OF
the annual output of this article
whose food value as a substitute for
olive oil is becoming more and more
recognized. Fifteen per cent. Of the
worlds cattle are on American farms,
the number in this country being SO
million, or twice as many as in Ar
gentine or European Russia and half
the number in India.
Our country also has 60 million
swine, so million sheep, and "a mil
lion horses. We import, however, 5
billion pounds of sugar (chiefy Gu
ban), or 1-2 times the amount pro-
duced in Continental United States
and it's island territories.
In clothing material the United
States is also favored, producing an
nuaily over IA million bales of cot
ton. Of wool we produce 800 mil
lion pounds year, our home require
ments being supplemented by 29S
million pounds of foreign wool and "a
million dollars worth Of woolen
goods.
In the mineral kingdom, the pre-
eminent position of the United States
is unquestioned. We produce, for
example, 534 million short tons of
coal, 40 per cent of the worlds out
put; 23S million barrels of petrol
cum, two-thirds of the worlds total,
and 81 million tons of iron ore, out
of world total of 1872 million. One
half OF the worlds copper is taken
from American mines, which turned
out i IA million pounds in 1912.
Of the worlds output of 466 mil
lion dollars worth of gold, the Unit
ed States produced about 20 per
cent. being exceeded only by South