The Washington herald., 1914-10-04

sarF foan9aII.4 ef Na1nln lmnFog9s
mansa Il 4HtffE n|aIa inIImnieig iuln
i1s ueTis,l Nolh thun sny otAsF product
Wa kaS esmorailssd ne esisen 10.
euslIN' 80 si.aosi eo.soa thsFs eeala
oFn eun cogid BE- nfed nor . baitieahlp
~ nor a. army ho put IN motion. Cot.
Ton d ths basis Of high explosives and
of nmokoleas powder. Ths hrmor-clad
gnrnhip carries relatively mare cotton
than was used By the frigate % . cen
tury ago with sfl is sails.
Wool was discarded long ago for uni
forms and cctton clothes the armies Of
the Worid-yes, and all the people Of the
word. from the polar region TO the
tropics. The Hottentot spreads q 6lm
Of cotton cloth across . few poles To-
keep out the Sun's heat The arctic
explorer pads bis duck suit with cot
ton and nnds Il warmer and lighter than
fur.
It Is evident. therefore. that cotton
touches all the world But clothing Is
only one Of the many points of contact.
Cotton Is the chief ingredient Of the
automobile Those soft cushions are cot
ton felt covered with more cotton that
looks like leather and you go bounding
on inflated cotton tires treated with rub
Der. Bangl There Is a puncture. It's
hole In the cotton and the rubber Is no
good without the cotton.
Other material might be used, but cot
ton Is used. therefore, most Of the busi-
ness OF the country would be paralyzed
n cotton were not available.
Cotton is not king. We don't like kings
In America. Cotton Is the master and
the servant OF all the people. Cotton is
all things to all men After clothing
them and housing them. It makes all
their paths smooth and still has energy
left to fatten cattle with its seed. When
the great American hog falls down on his
Job Of shortening our hot biscuits, cotton
IL ready to do the work more cheaply
and more delicately. Let US sing praises
to cotton TO the strains Of sweet music
pumped through the organ by cotton
bellows.
This Is the age Of cotton. The world
has achieved its greatest progress since
Ell Whitney invented the cotton gin.
Eliminate cotton and the mere stoppage
of spindles and looms would be but q
tribe compared with the paralysis that
would visit countless other industries.
In the last year q new high record has
been established for the consumption
OF cotton by the world. the total being
more than 1s.0Oo,oo0 bales.
The railroads and trolley lines Of the
United States use more than 200 bales
Of cotton q year for enameled ceilings,
plush chairs, leather seats ard air-brake
hose. The automobile consumes about
iOo, 900 bales q year. Most of 1t goes into
the cotton-duck basis which is the es-
sentiaI feature OF the tires and the
rest goes largely for leather cushions
and seats. The largest individual con-
tract for cotton goods in the world IL
the one placed annually by the greatest
Of the harvester machine companies. |
II calls for millions Of yards of cotton |
duck, the consumption for the entire |
harvesting machine industry being esti- |
mated at above 100000 yards Of duck |
yearly. -..- 10. -- o..
It Is no wonder, therefore. that the
whole world takes such intense interest
n the calamity that has overcome the |
,otton industry. It is evident, however,
rom the many uses to which cotton
las been put. that the recovery will be
witt and substantial, once the initial
Ihock has been adjusted. It is believed
hat the worldwide attention directed
o cotton by the war will increase its
Ised to the extent Of a million bales an
iually In America alone, for the people
ire learning that cotton as q substitute
or other materials Is not only Just as
rood but better.