The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-25
MORRIS BUSH PREDICTS
UNUSUAL PROSPERITY FOR
THE BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT
South Come Own End of European War Declares
Industrial Leader-Demand For Cotton, Lumber and
Naval Stores Such as the South Can Furnish
Will Be Unparalleled is Prediction

ducts Our lumber industry from an
export standpoint was practically
killed for sometime for lack of bot
toms in which to carry the products.
The same situation existed in regard to
the naval stores industry.
WAR AFFECTS SOUTH
Then there was cotton, one of our CHIEF
reliances, which suffered more severely
from the war than any other commodity
The lack of bottoms, the inability 10
reach Germany and the other central
empires, and the stagnation industriallz
in other European countries all tended
to harm our chief southern product. And
Birmingham, relying more than many OF
us had ever realized, on the prosperity
of the farmers and the outlying territory
for our prosperity, was hurt just as were
the cotton producers.
But every cloud has it's silvery lining.
The case of the Egyptians in the time OF
Joseph, who enjoyed seven years of plen-
tifuI harvests followed by seven years
of famine is destined to be reversed with
Birmingham and the entire south. We
are adjusting ourselves, slowly, gradual
ly, but surely to the conditions that have
existed for the past two years and which
WILL in a lessening degree, exist until the
war is closed. But when war is over the
south will come into her own. We have
nearQ many OIL our pdlliOllC ClllZellS dIiu
ilyer-tongued orators in the past tell OF
this bright day when the south would
take the front rank in the nation in
agricultural, commercial and industrial
lines, but many of those statements were
not based on facts. But after a careful
survey of the conditions and after repeat
ed Investigations and conversations with
financiers in the north and east, / think
that time will begin to come when the
war ends.
I'm the first place, we are the people
who have the raw materials and those are
what the warning nations will need and
must have when they start the work OF
rebuilding. The steamships now plying
the Atlantic, carrying war orders, will
resume their normal courses and there
will be plenty of bottoms calling at the
gulf ports. In fact. conditions will make
it necessary and profitable for many
ships which formerly did not come tc
our southern coast to come this way
to get the cargoes which the European
nations will need and demand.
RAW MATERIALS
1.-The demands for cotton, lumber and
ance will be greater than at any time
in our history. Our boom along these
lines will equal If not surpass the NUM-
tons boom of the east now. The ex
ceptionally large number of vessels call
! ing at southern ports will give our Goa
men prosperity which has not even beer
equaled by that in the northern and At
lantic fields during the war All of oul
raw materials will then be in tremen
dous demand.
, ''Then the surplus capital amounting
to billions, which has been piled up il
this country during the war, but which
is now practically boarded or loaned only
on 80 days time, must seek investment
The north and east will offer no field
for their raw materials do not compare
with ours and they have already beer
over-developed in order to supply thu
demands for war orders. I am of thu
opinion that the south and the Birming
ham district will then really come int
| their own and that this section will fine
! the money markets coming here seeking
| place to put their money. The small
| industries problem will be solved thel
and I think, if we only sit steady II
! the boat and remain patient, we will
| live to see the day when we will admi
| that we have made more out of thi
world war than the manufacturing cen
| tiers of the east and the grain growing
sections Of the west"