Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-12
LET GREAT BRITAIN BUY
UP ENTIRE COTTON CROP
After War Is Ended, 1t Can Be Re.
sold, Even IL Government
Suffers Loss.
LORD BEREsroRD's SOLUTION
lie Believes That If Cotton Had
been Declared Contraband In Feb.
ruary, Conflict Now Would be Ap.
preaching Its Final Stages.

.>DoN' August ll.-At the meet.
.us neld tonight to impress on tbe
"'heht the necessity of decl,rin
! .otlon contraband. Sir william Roms,r
H SSiehtist, declared cotton was thc
ohiS substance required for ,ba -.
facture Of munitions wi,h ny, i,'a '"-
Eermans could not supply thcmsa,,o,
ne SAID no chemical produces co,,ia
take the place OF cotton in nronuI,'..n
ammunition. ''oPuisNe
,,s Sir Charles Macarn, president of the
Master Cotton Spinncrs' Associatior ~
Great Britain, presided at the meet.
ing. An inspired statement published
mus morning depreciating the arit,
ton to make cotton contraband ,ra
intimatinS that negotiations with tho
ohi'eu states on this subject were
proceeding, had the effect of lessen
ing interest In the meeting. Both III.
presiding officer and Sir William. tho
chief speaker. were insistent. how
ever, that immediate action should he
taken. "
Sir Charles said he had no doub,
the explosive manufacturers had con.
shmcd a large part Of the cotton sur.
Plus created by tho war, and added:
we must utilize our command OF
me highways of the sea. both prac-
.lcaliy and automatically. tto prevent
az the same time acting fairly in the
interests of neutral countries"
OH william Ramsay, who seconded 2
resolution which was passed demand
ing 'hat cotton be declared contraband
asserted that while substitutes for cot.
ton could be used in making nitro-col.
lulose. none of them had what wa.
called the "ballastic power" of cotton.
and II anything else were used bv the
Germans IL would necessitate enlarctnp
the chambers OF their guns and alter
ing the sights OF their rifles. an expedi
prepared TO adopt in the course of a
great war.
lie declared cotton was going into
Germany by devious routes. 1t was sold
he said, TO Dutch and Swedish COM
panics under a guarantee that II would
not be sold to Germany or Austria.
While technically this guarantee was
not violated Sir William contended II
was in reality subterfuge for the
Dutch and Swedish consignecs sold the
shipments to Swiss companies who In
turn, sold them 10 Great Britain's add
versaries. Sir William estimated that
n thousand tons OF cotton is used every
day OF the war. and he protested that
il was grossly unfair to the English
soldiers and their allies that Great
Britain should continue TO supply Ger
many with this commodity.
Had cotton been stopped at the be-
ginning OF the war he said. we might
ing an end
y letter from Lord Beresford was
read at the meeting. in which he says
II cotton had been declared contra band
last February, the war now would be
approac ching it's final scenes, and adds:
Cotton Is still entering Germany.
She might just we'll be allowed 10
import she'll. Neutral powers should be
informed that we intend TO maintain
our maritime rights as A beliigerent.
on what use to us is the mastery of
the sea unless we profit by its advant-
ages.
I'VE don't wish to hamper the trade
of the great English speaking nation
across the Atlantic. There are diff
culties, but diincultics were created to
be faced"
The solution proposed by Lord Beres-
ford is for the British government 10
buy UP The entire American cotton cror
and resell afterwards even IL at loss.