The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-08-18

The Government and Cotton.

Just how much the government of
the United States is doing, and has
been doing, to improve the condition
of the foreign market for cotton may
never be fully known, but now and
then a hint of this ACTIVITY is drop
ed here and there.
For instance, in reviewing the work
of r. F. Rose, who recently resigned
as foreign trade adviser Of the state
department, the Washington eorre-
spondent of the New York Times
says:
Perhaps the most important matter
handled by Mr.. Rose was that of get
ting dyestuffs out of Germany and
cotton into that country. Early in the
war an embargo was placed by Ger
many on shipments of dyestuffs,
cyanide and other chemicals, and it
was only after strenuous negotiations
that permission was received from
Germany to import dyestuffs, cyanide
and other chemicals, on the condition
that they be brought in American ves-
sells and a guarantee given against
their reexportatiOn. At the time
there was less than six weeks sup
ply OF dyestuffs in this country, and
it has been asserted that unless
this commodity had been obtained,
more than 100000 workmen in the
textile industry would have been
thrown out of employment. The
cyanide situation was even more de-
pressing. In the entire country there
was not enough cyanide to keep the
gold and silver mines of the West and
Mexico going for four weeks. In
Mexico alone more than 12, 200 miners
were threatened with loss Of employ
ment
! AS soon as the permission was
granted. Mr.. Rose called a confer
ence in Washington which resulted
in the chartering Of the American
boat Matanzas, which was sent to
Rotterdam under ballast to bring
back the dyestufrs and cyanide. The
Matanzas had been out two days
when a telegram was received from
Germany stating that unless the
Matanzas was loaded with cotton the
dyestuffs and cyanide could not be
| loaded. Mr.. Rose drafted a telegram
to Germany stating that the Matan-
zas had gone, had no wireless, and
could not be recalled, but that the
German government could be assured
that future boats flying the American
flag would be sent with cotton.
Mr.. Rose then called on the cotton
men. They were fearful of Great
Britain's attitude, and only after hard
work was there cotton. exporter
found who would take advantage of
the German market, even though cot
ton was not contraband. The first
shipment of 5000 bales to Gothenburg
for Germany was made by the Har-
riss-Irby Cotton company. No banks
would finance it, and the needed in
surance could not be obtained. The
company carried it's own insurance
and sent the cotton at an expense of
more than 100000.
Mr.. Rose went to the banks and
pleaded with them. He pointed out
that cotton was then selling in Texas
for l-2 cents a pound, and that un-
less some relief could be given to the
South there would be disastrous con-
sequences. He visited the dyestuffs
people and asked them to pay for the
American cotton sold in Germany with
the money which they were to pay
for dyestuffs. These ARRANGEMENTS
had been practically completed when
the banks lent a sympathetic ear to
the cotton exporters.
/ II was through Mr.. Roses indi-
vidual work with the marine insur-
ance companies of this country that
marine insurance was obtained for
the cotton going TO Germany. The
Monte went into Bremen loaded
Win cotton-the first ship flying the
American flag which had entered
that port in 40 years. This blazed the
way. Cotton exporters estimate that
Germany received upward of 2,000,-
600 bales of American cotton, and
the price in New York went to 9 1-2
cents and 10 cents pound.
In March the British order in
council was issued. Mr.. Rose OPEN
ed informal negotiations with the
British embassy, and goods at Rot
terdam paid for before March 1
were brought out.
Mr.. Rose went into the department
or state with Mr.. Bryan; having first
reported the Nebraskan's speeches i'm