The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-08-04

ated, and it should make the most of
this opportunity.
1t is incumbent upon the industrial
leaders, the capitalists and the rail-
roads of this section, and upon the
capitalists of the North and West
interested in the South, to do all in
their power, working in harmony, to
bring about this result. A large
development of plants, built as is be-
ing done in the East out of the profits
of the war business, would put the
South far on the road to prosperity
and lift it's whole industrial life to a
higher plane.
Baltimore is making a great move
in this direction, and the capitalists
and some of the factories of this city
are achieving magnificent results for
the future through the utilization of
this opportunity. Some consider
able development is being made in
Richmond along similar lines, and
from Knoxville comes the report that
William ]. Oliver & Co., has secured
a contract for 100000 of war
orders. Here and there in the South
other small orders are being placed
for varied materials ito be used for
war purposes. But outside of these
specific cases very little is being
done, and an opportunity of vital
national Importance is being neglect
ed.
Virginia has secured through the
Du Pont Company a powder plant
which it is said, when completed, will
be the largest in the world, now en-
ploying in its construction and in the
two units already built about 49,
900 to $4,000 men.
In Birmingham, the iron and steel
center of the South, an effort is be-
ing made to do something on a large
scale. On this point Mr.. James Nit
chell, president of the Alabama
Power Co., a 5O,OOO,O00 concern,
which has developed large hydro
electric plants and made other heavy
investments in that State, wires the
Manufacturers Record as follows:
Regarding the manufacture of mu-
nitions, I am using every personal in
auence and effort to obtain some Or
ders for this district, but it is not
especially prepared for this class of
work with either labor or equipment,
and it would be difficult to make sat-
isfactory deliveries except in certain
special lines, on which we r con-
c%entrating. our efforts.
In urging upon the South the utili-
cation of this opportunity, the Manu-
facturers Record does it not only
from the business point of view of
the vast benefits that would follow,
but because it believes that the men
who are engaged in making war mu-
nitions for the Allies are doing the
greatest possible good that can be
done for humanity and for civiliza-
ton. Some of the big concerns in
this country, as we personally know,
have gone into this business from this
point of view rather than from that
of possible profit. Doubtless the
same feeling has inspired many of
them. 1t ought to inspire all.
Every man who believes in demo-
cracy as against the "divine right of
Emporers William and Francis JOS
eph to rule" or ruin; every man VINO
believes in the honor of plighted
faith in treaties; every man who
looks with horror upon the raping of
Belgium, the effort to destroy France
to whom this country owes a debt of
gratitude beyond ability ever to
pay; every man who looks upon the
unspeakable horrors into which Ger
many and Austria have engulfed the
world, should be interested in doing
all in his power to provide war mu-
nitions for the Allies.
1t is conceivable that prejudiced
men at the beginning might have
been so blind to the truth and so un-
willing to admit the facts as to be-
lieve that Great Britain and the AL
lies ere responsible for the war.
But it is not now conceivable, it
seems to us, that any honest-minded
man, seeing the ~unprepared condition
of England and the Allies in contrast
with the enormous preparation for
"a made by Germany, could now
charge the Allies with being respon-
sible. Therefore, it is incumbent
upon every man in this country wor-
thy to be a citizen of it and every
mar worthy to be permitted to live
in II ,.oro,51orc &c ,,,Lono X