The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-08-14
WANT COTTON C0NTRABAND.
BRITONS URGE BAN ON STAPLE
by GOVERNMENT.
SOuth'S Greatest Product Declared tn
he Absolutely Essential in Making
Good Powder.


cotton cOntraband, Sir William RamL
say, the scientist, declared cotton was
the only .ubstance required for the
manufacture of munitions with which
the Germans could not supply them
selves. He said no chemical pro-
ducts can take the place Of cotton in
propulsive ammunition. Sir Charles
Macara. president of the Master Cot
ton Spinners' Association of Great
Britain, presided. Il Sir William was
the principal speaker.
An inspired statement published In
most OF the newspapers this morning
deprecating the action to make cotton
contraband and intimating that nego-
tiations with the United States on
this subject were proceeding lessened
interest in the meeting but both the
presiding officers and speakers were
insistent that immediate action should
be taken. 80
In opening the meeting Sir Charles
said he had no doubt manufacturers
of explosives had consumed a LARGO
part Of the cotton surplus created by
the war and added:
1--WE must utilize our command of
the highways Of the sea, both ply
sically and automatically, to prevent
cotton reaching enemy countries,
while at the same time acting fairly
in the interest Of neutral countries"
He was sure the government had
given anxious consideration to this
complicated problem and said there
was no doubt that the stocks of cot
ton accommodating at Liverpool had
shown an improvement was taking
place, but that it was necessary that
strong and we'll considered measures
should be carried out to keep cotton
from the countries with which Great
Britain was at war. q
Ramsay, who secc9scag,
resolution passed demanding that
cotton be declared contraband, assert
ed that while substitutes for cotton
could be used in making nitro-cel-
lulose none had what was called the
"ballistic power" Of cotton. and if
anything else were used by the Ger
mans 1t would necessitate enlarging
the chambers of their guns and alter
ing the sights of their rifles, an ex-
pedient which not even Germany
could be prepared to adopt in the
course of u great war. He declared
that cotton was going into Germany
by devious routes. 1t was sold. ne
said, to Dutch and Swedish companics
under guarantee that it would not
he sold to Germany or Austria. While
technically this guarantee was not
violated, Sir Charles contcnded it was
IN reality 4 subtcrruge, for the Dutch
and Swedish cOnsignecs sold the Ship
ments to Swiss companies who. in
turn, sold them to Great Britain's ad-
VerSaries.
Sir Charles estimated that q thous-
ana tons OF cotton is used every day
or the war and he protested that IL
was grossly unfair to the English SOL
diers and their allies that Great Brit
am should continue to supply Ger
many with this commodity.
Had cotton been stopped at the
oeSinnihg OF the war" he said, 1--WE
might reasonably expect to see the
war nearing an end"
letter from Lord Bercsford was
read at the meetirs; in which he said
If cotton had been declared contra
paho last February the war now
would be approaching it's final scenes
and added:
Cotton Is still entering Germany.
She might just as well be allowed to
import shells. Neutral powers should
he Informed that we intend to main.
tam our maritime rights as a bellig-
rent. OF what use to us is the mas
terry of the sea unless we profit nv ito
advantages?
I'VE don't wish to hammer the
trade OF the great English speak .ng
nation across the Atlantic. There are
difficulties, but difficulties were ere
ated to be faced"
the solution of the problem pro-
posed by Lord Bercsford would be for
the British government to buv up the
entire American cotton crop and re-
sell afterwards, even if at - loss
NO LONGER NECESSARY.