The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-01-10
THE SOUTH TO BE ...... . &
PROSPEROUS WHETHER
THE WAR CONTINUES
OR PEACE PREVAILS

100000 bales, adding in the pro-
cess of manufacture q value equal
to the raw material. Counting this
output of cotton mills and also the
value of the product of cotton4seed
oil mills, it will be found that the
total income to the South from cot
ton and cotton products this year
will be not far from $2,250, ,000, 900.
These figures, which are staggering
in their significance and in their i'm
portance to the prosperity of the
South an dthe business life of the
nation, represent the returns from
one Southern crop.
A year ago the coal trade Of the
South was in, the depths and, prices
were low. Pig iron was difficult of
sale at $40 per ton in Birmingham
and the iron producers were stock
ing up their storage yards because
the demand was less than the out,
put. Today every furnace that can
possibly get into operation is being
pushed to its utmost capacity while
long abandoned furnaces are being
overhauled in order to 60 into blast,
because the demand for iron has
carried the price at Birmingham to
upwards Of 20 ton, and some fur
naces, producing exceptionally high
grade iron, are selling at $24 q ton,
q large part of their total output for
delivery in 1917. The coal and coke
industry is sharing in this wonderful
prosperity Of the. iron and steel in
terests. \ "a
Are these fortunate conditions to
continue if war should cease, and
will the South prosper under peace
as it is now prospering under war?
While we do not believe that Eu-
rope will have peace for many
months to come, unless Germany has
reached a point where it is willing to
accept practically any terms that the
Allies may dictate, nevertheless, ev-
cry man in the country is asking the
question, what will be the effect on
business if peace should come?
So far as the South isfconcerned,
peace-prosperity would, in our opin-
ion, very far exceed the present war
created prosperity.
From the day that peace is declar-
ed the demand for cotton would in
crease at rate to absorb even, big
crop at big prices. Central Europe
is bare of cotton. Its cotton mills
have been starving for the raw ma
terial with which to feed their spin
A demand adequate to the in
creasing demand Of Europe and to
the vast expansion Of cotton con-
sumption in this country during the
last two years would give prosperi-
ty even greater to the cotton inter-
ests of the South than that which
now exists.
Following peace there would come
a great burst of activity in construc-
ton activities throughout the world.
Shipbuilding will 60 as never before.
The yards of this country now have
under contract nearly 1900, 900 tons,
or five or six times as much mer-
chant-marine as was usually under
contract beforethe war. To this ship
building activity we shall add an
enormous naval expansion, and no
plans for disarmament, however
beautiful in theory, will persuade
this country to cease building battle
ships and cruisers and submarines
until ours ranks as one Of the worlds
great navies. Into the building of
naval vessels and the. construction OF
naval yards, this country. will put
$500, 100000 or $400, 900, Goo q year
for several years to come. The de-
Continued on Page Two.) 4