The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-01
MonId Prevent Mar

T have. read many times of the inn possibility of preventing wars between nations and the futility of The Hague reace tribunal. as it has no power to enforce any decisions" writes G. c. Fredericks in the New York Sun.
 My own idea is that international wars could almost surely be prevented if all of the great countries would really wish to end them for all time. My idea is the establishment by agree ment of all the important powers of an international court where disputes could be tried and sentence imposed. The sentence would be not a military punishment but commercial one. That is, the court would order all countries to stop exports to and inn ports from the offending one for a definite period of time, or until the wrong had been redressed or until a certain date after the wrong had been redressed, the court to decide on the time according to the magnitude of the offense. This would be almost as damaging to the offending country as a war would be, and would injure the others very little, and would avoid all of the horrors of war with it's devasta- ton and maimings and killings, and its after effects, the maimed, the widows and the orphans unable to earn their livings.
 Would Germany have invaded Bel gium if such a court had been in ex- istencc, and she knew eff found gull ty of invading neutraD that she would be unable to trade with Hol- land, Italy. the Scandinavian countries .l ox,6 t1 get any food or supplies from any of them; and that she would be unable to do any foreign trade as long as she held Belgium? Or would Japan over step the rights of China if she knew all of her foreign trade could be im- mediately cut off? Or would there be any talk in our own country of Ja- pan some day seizing the Philippines? The very talk creates friction and rouses the jingoes even if it has no basis.
 Could not the great countries get together and the diplomats and jurists work out some such scheme if they really wished to prevent wars?" Indications of Surprise in Cotton
 "The situation in the cotton business is about what I have steadily predict ed,' said a former cotton man, "and from now on we may look for some thing surprising to many interested in the staple.
 T believe cotton will sell for 121s cents in July and 15 cents in August base my predictions upon the fol- lowing facts: The normal demand for spinnable cotton over the entire world before the present war began was ap- proXimately 15,500, 900 bales, everything running. The mills consumed for two years previous to September 1, 1914, 3b000,000 bales and also large carry ing over from previous years. Not for a decade or two had the demand for cotton come as near absorbing the crop offering as in the two years named-191S-1914. These crops wer, marketed at an average price for both crops of 1920 cents for middling. To- day there are more cotton spindles either running or awaiting cotton than ever before. Those making army cloths are pressed to the limit in this country and in Europe, Russia and Japan. When the warm weather sets in millions of soldiers will have to be supplied with cotton clothing every two weeks, 'tis said, there must be a new outfit for those on the firing line; winter clothing will have to be discard ed. Hospital demands for bed linen bandages and clothing will steadily in- crease.
 "rhe manufacture of explosives will consume near 100000 bales; some of this will be linters. but good part