The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-05

] Littell McClung, Editor of Farm and Im- migration" in the Outlook.
 G0NHE south has furnished its quota II of leaders to the country, both S political and religious, both good and bad. But now she comes forward
 with a new kind of leader-an economic Moses; a woman preaching gospel that
 must be lived up to, not only by the south, but by every section of the coun- try that hopes to get on permanently prosperous basis.
 This new leader Is Mrs. G. H. Mathis of Gadsden, Alabama. Mrs. Mathis, by ex- ample and by word, has quickened thou sands of men and women in the south to a realization that i've must raise what we eat'' if ever we are to plant our feet upo, the solid road and go forward with the knowledge that our work will bring full returns despite wars and rumors of wars stock market disasters or indus trial slumps. And the south, accepting and in part living up to the economic gospel preached by Mrs. Mathis, is all ready on that solid road, and is already enjoying such prosperity as she has not mad i1 half & century.
 To understand Mrs. Mathis's herculean task, just take brief survey of the cot ton belt prior to the European war. For years on years the south had been supply ing the world with the bulk of its cot ton With cotton at 12 or 15 cents a pound, the snow white staple brought hundreds of millions of dollars into the cotton belt every fall. And yet with these vast sums pouring into the cities, towns and hamlets, the south remained poor and for the same reason that so many people continue to be poor-they buy everything they eat. Now the indtvid- ual family may not spend very large sum for food in year, but this sum in most cases runs over that sharp economic line where profit ends and debt begins. that $1O spent for potatoes. that $9 that went for tomatoes, that $50 for butter and cream, and that other 50 for canned goods, it would have had little surplus at the end of the year. instead of being in debt to the merchant.
 All the south's money went to the cen tral west for foods and foodstuffs. The central west, even with it's high priced land and rigorous winters, gradually grew rich at the expense of the south with it's low priced lands and mild climate. Figures compiled from the car records in every county in the state show that in 1914 Alabama alone sent s106,0O0,000 north for food for man and beast. Other cot ton belt states sent proportionate sums.
 Result: When the European war broke, and cotton that had cost cents pound to produce went down to cents pound, the south was without money, without food and with an immense debt to shoul- der as we'll Frantic appeals for govern ment aid were made to Washington-ap- peals backed by powerful influence. With the hope of quick results the "Buy-a- Bale" movement was started, and it spread from New Orleans to Chicago But it brought little actual benefit because the cottcn bought at 10 cents a pound was  was but a temporary makeshift.
 It remained for Mrs. Mathis to bring the clear, true message of economic sal vation Raise what you eat and make cotton your surplus money crop" was the gospel she preached throughout the cen
 tral south. She had done this on her own farm. and she knew she was right. By living up to this gospel she had increased
 the value of sS-an-acre land to $40 and $50 ar acre. She had taken shiftless tenants aud made of them responsible and pro-
 ductive citizens.
 She had helped some of them to own their homes and to feel, for the first time, that they had responsibilities and were a part of the community. She had gone into partnership with her tenants-black and white-and had made them feed them selves" and have a surplus besides; she had helped them start bank accounts and
 build up the land; and in building up the
 land and becoming independent they had
 built up in themselves latent manhood and womanhood, pride in success and am.
 btion to progress.
 Mrs Mathis had done all these things on her farm in Alabama sometime before even the faintest rumble in Europe. Sht
 had realized that soil fertility is the ba' sis of all wealth, and that the conserva ton and proper use of this wealth Is tho foundation of all industry and all solid prosperity And so when cotton fell tt
 cents. and the south was looking witt terrified eye into the future and asking
 s.what shall we do to be saved?" Mrs Mathis had ready the true message O. I salvation. And it had nothing in common with the late unlamented "Buy-a-Bale' movement.
 She first delivered this message at Bir mingham to farmers, bankers, merchants manufacturers. professional men and t,
 women. And this message, so clear. st simple. so direct, aroused to action thos'
 who heard it. This woman. reared in tn,
 south and loving the south. had gone t the root of the whole vast problem-th, selling of cotton to buy foed. absente llandlordism and the consenuent aerletiol I of soil fertility.
 Man alive. this is the message tn
 whole south should hear now!" declare
 banker who was pressed. And 90 tn