New Britain herald., 1915-08-12
KEEP COTTON FROM
7EUTON|CCOUN7RIES
British Public Want Government
to Declare Product COntraband

London, Aug. 12.-At meeting
held last night to impress upon the
government the necessity of declaring
cotton contra band of war, Sir William
ramsay, the eminent scientist, de-
cared cotton was the only substance
required for the manufacture of mu-
nltlons with which the Germans could
not supply themselves. He said no
chemical products can take the place
of cotton n propulsive ammunition
and that ammunition made from used
cotton is not as effective as that made
from unused cotton.
-;Sir Charles NIAGARA, president of the
Master Cotton Spinners' association of
Great Britain, presided at the m Getting
and Sir William was the principal
speaker. An inspired statement pub
lished in most of the newspapers yes
terday morning deprecating the agi-
tation to make cotton contra band, and
Initiating that negotiations, with the
United States on this subject were pro-
ceeding, had the effect of lessening in
terest in the meeting Both the presid-
ing officer and chief speaker were in
sistent, however, that immediate ac-
ton should be taken.
Consumed Cotton Surplus.
In opening the proceedings the
president of the cotton spinners said
he had no doubt the manufacture of
explosives had consumed a large part
Of the cotton surplus created by the
war and added
I'VE must utilize our command of
the highways of the sea, both prac-
tically and automatically, to prevent
cotton reaching enemies countries
while at the same time acting fairly
in the interests of neutral countries"
Keep Cotton From Enemies.
Pile was sure the government had
given anxious consideration to this
most complicated problem and said
there was no doubt that during recent
months the stocks of cotton &C
cumulating at Liverpool had shown an
improvement was taking place, but
that it was absolutely necessary that
strong and we'll considered measures
should be carried out to keep cotton
from the countries with which Great
Britain is al war.
a resolution which was passed de-
manding that cotton be declared con-
traband, asserted that while substi-
titles for cotton could be used in
making nitro-cellulose, none of them
had what was called the "ballistic
power of cotton and if anything else
was used by the Germans it would
necessitate charging the chambers of
their guns and altering the sights of
their rifles, an exped1ent which not
even Germany could be prepared to
adopt in the course of a great war, He
declared that cotton was going into
Germany by devious routes. It was
sold, he said. to Dutch and Swedish
companies under a guarantee that it
| would not be sold to Germany or Aus
tria While technically this guaran-
tee was no violated, Sir Charles con-
tehded, it was in reality a subterfuge,
for the Dutch and Swedish consignees
sold the shipments to Swiss COM
7 panies who, in turn, sold them to
yGreat Britain's adversaries.
Thousand Tons Day.
\ The estimate was made by Sir
kcharles that a thousand tons of cotton
is used every day of the war and he
! protested that it was grossly unfair to
| tie English soldiers and their allies
kthat Great Britain should continue to
SUNNY Germany with this modify.
"Had cotton been stopped at the be-
ginning of the war;" he said, 1--WE
might reasonably expect to see the
war nearing an END.
Meeting Not Tainted.
London, Aug. IL, 10:45 a. m.-The
! Manchester Guardian denies the i'm
pIication that the meeting held in
London last night to urge the gov
ernment to declare cotton contraband
was tainted with commercialism, in
that the cotton interests would bene-
fit by such a declaration.
"If Manchester men have a policy
tits not for trade or for sectional
reasons. but on broadly nationa
grounds" this paper says. lou,
own views on the matter are these
Cotton is more necessary for pur-
poses of war than any other article
of commerce, and it passes our COM
prehension how it ever came to 5t
put on the free list"
The Guardian deprecates the sug
gestion that England should buy the
american crop if cotton should b,
declared contraband, arguing that il
case loss must be sustained the Amer
lean growers should be the chief suf
ferers When cotton was contrabant
during the Civil war, it adds, no OH
bought supply to relieve the famin
in Manchester.