The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1915-08-05
ENGLAND WILL MAKE
COTTON CoNTRABAND.

GAAb'lu VI luo classification OF
cotton as contraband is expected
In fact one high official of the
government said that in his opin-
ION Great Britain has declared
cotton contraband. The same
authority expressed the opinion
that the English government will
shortly announce some plan look
ing to the compensation of the
cotton interests for the loss such
action will necessarily entail. IL
IS an open question whether Great
Britain will propose 10 purchase a
specific amount of cotton in ex
cess of her own requirements or
whether some other way to Il
void a serious clash with the
United States will be pointed ou,.
The fact that the neutral
countries IN Europe are buying
10 times the quantity of cotton
sold TO Germany direct, it is con
tended, has convinced the Eng
llsh government that Germany
and her allies are receiving the
staple through neutral ports Al
expert of the largest powder
plant IN America is authority for
The statement that from 70 To 30
per cent of the weight of all ex-
IpiosIves being used IN Europe at
TINS time is derived from cotton.
1t Is apparent that the Presi-
dent and other administration Of
iicials are deeply solicitous for
the welfare OF America : leading
staple IN the existing diplomatic
ENHANCEMENT with Great Britain
and realize the immense value to
be derived by the cotton produc- |
ing States from an agreement
whereby the staple will find its
accustomed outlets.
1t is safe to predict in this con.
necuon that If American cotton Is
treated contraband by Great
Britain without fair measure of
satisfaction to those who are
made TO suffer by such treatment !
the next Congress will have . |
deal with complications of fdrI
sraver character than have yet |
developed through the failure Of |
diplomacy on this side of the At |
.antic.
Senator John Sharp Williams
statement "a the effect that heis |
,u!i IN favor of the proposition |
Tor the purchase OF merchant
ships by the government as an
rmcrgcnt measure started up dis
cuSslon OF the establishment of a
merchant marine through govern
mrnt subsidy. senator Williams
was quoted rs saying that the
same necessity that urged the
purchase of ships by the govern.
lnrnl last year was present today
and that lee would advocate the
administration 5 ship purchase oil
IA the coming campaign next win
Ter.
The trend ol opinion is that
the administration ship purchase
blll which President Wilson urged
So strcnuouSly during the A,t
Congress and which was finally
defeated IN the senate through
II coalition of seven Democrats
aud the Republican minority can
not be- revived rs an admniStra-
ton measure. There will be-
slip prchaSc discussion in the
next Congress. but the feeling j,
that 1t will relate almost cNclu
'Wely 10 the proposition of gov
'rnmcnt AID ia the form of some
,ort of subsidy. Now. what a
Democratic majority IN the House
and the Senate will do with the
question involving subsidy as
means of fostering AN American
merchant marine opens up wide
held for speculative opinion.
OF the seven DcmorralicS Srna
.orS who defeated the adminlStra-
ION 5 ship purchase bill in the
last Congress, all Will be IN the
Congress except Srnl-
.or Camden, of Kentucky There
Is no evidence available that any
IF the Others have changed their
opinion since then, although .he
change of one vote at a stage OF
.he ship purchase fight last win
Ter would have passed the admin
stration s bill. But President ,
Wilson is stronger with the A
nerican people today than he was
then.