The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-08-11
Mr.. AIKEN ON THE
COTTON SITUATION
CONGRESSMAN FROM third
DISTRICT GIVES HIS VIEWS
ON THE OUTLOOK
Government Could.
Help Materially
If United States Gould Hold Eng.
land in Check, Cotton Would
Bring High Prices. r.

Editor Daily Mall
I have your letter asking me for an
expression of opinion as to the course
congress should take to maintain an
open market with neutrals, for the
cotton crop, ~.
Let me- say in the outset trat the
stand the president has taken in his
preliminary note to England, demand
ing free trade with neutrals IL nom
contraband, which cotton has been
declared to be, will, in my JUDGMENT,
find favorable response with large
majority of the members of congress-.
The proposition of England fnan-
ciers to purchase from American ex-
changes $3.50, 0,O00, 900 worth OF cot
ton, that would normally 60 to Ger
many, Austria, and Hungary and
$25,000,000 worth that would nor
mally go to Holland, Dennark, Nor
way, Sweden and Switzerland. and
allow the English government to de-
clare cotton to be, absolute, cuntra-
band, is but an insidius proposal for
England to take our crop at he-. own
figures. The amount English finan-
ciers wuld thus spend would buy
about 100000 bales of q. cotton,
which is far below even her normal
supply of cotton; for she has iought.,
for the eleven months just closed
3,712,502 bales. Her purchase for
the year will easily exceed, four mil
lion bales. '~
If English financiers will buy the
100000 bales of her normal supply,
and agree to hold the surplus off the
market during the continuance of the
war, or to be used by the government
only for the manufacture of explo-
sives, this country might suspend ac-
ton on an English order in council
making cotton contraband, but GER
tainly not otherwise.
Contorary to predictions by the pro-
phets of evil the foreign demand for
cotton has not been decreased as an
effect of the war, but on the con-
trary it has been enhanced. Despite
English aggression at sea even Ger
many and Austria have taken more
than their normal supply of cotton,
indirectly through neutral ports, and
in shipping to those ports we have
violated no law of neutrality.
Even if the war continues the de-
mand for cotton viii increase. It is
estimated that 100000 shells were
fired in one day in the battle north
of Arras on June 18th. The largest
Of these shells consumes 732 pounds
of cotton for each exploded. There
were probably over 100000 bales Of
cotton consumed in this battle alone.
Then, all available labor is being used
in the manufacturers of tents and
uniforms for the soldiers. It is con.
ceded that if the war should close the
demand for cotton would soar into
new high levels.
If the United States government
can prevent England from taking
over the present surplus and the new
crop, at her own figures, there is
every reason to believe that cotton
will sell for more during the next
twelve months than it has sold for
since the American civil war. Either
the cotton exchanges are not inform
ed as to conditions affecting the cot
ton crop, or are assuming that the
growers are not informed and are
trying to effect corner while prices
are absurdly low.
AS bearing on this question, it will
probably not be amlss to give some
figures. For those touching on the
consumption of fertilizer, am in
debted to the enterprise of the pub
licist at Clemson College.
In 1914 eight cotton growing states
not including Texas and Okla
homa, used 4,431,O00 tons of COM
mercial fertilizer. In 1915 these
same states used 2,636,0OO tons; a
falling off of Al per cent and the
grade was much lower than of the
previous year.
In Texas and Oklahoma rainfall
during the growing season has been
heavier than in years, and the rava-
ges of the boil weevil have been pro-.
portionally greater. A conserva-