The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-30

| devastation of the war. In the case of
| Russia and probably France heavy 4
purchases must be made here to i'm 4
prove railway systems and to construct 4
new lines. The balance of trade in our
favor is likely to be maintained for
some years after the close of the war.
1t is from this point OF view that the
men of financial authority look when
they say that the conditions after the
war will be of kind which will make
inevitable the maintenance of business !
prosperity.
From still another point of view the
observations are taken which justify
the belief that Mr.. Vanderlip spoke well
within the truth when he recently said
that business is now at top speed and
will be maintained for a good while
after the war closes. For it is observed
that the leaders in the steel industry are
contemplating constant domestic de-
mands for their products after the war
closes. They are expanding their plants
The United States Steel corporation did
not decide to invest $11, 900 900 in expand
ing the plant of the Tennessee Coal and
Iron company at Birmingham because
the managers of the corporation believed
that these improvements could be util-
lied In meeting war order demands In
stead, these managers contemplate a
vast increase in demands for steel COM J
modities in the markets of the south and
also of Central and South America.
In addition to this investment the cor-
poration is aiding subsidiarysI
whose name is to be the Federal Ship
building company, and whose plant is
to be established upon the flatlandsN
near Newark on deep water of one OF
the rivers that set in from New York
harbor. Six millions have already been
appropriated for this undertaking and
it is the expectation that the plant
will be ready for the skilled artisans
early in 1915 1t will build ships and
many of them, and after the war is over 4
will probably furnish a large number of
steel barges available for use upon the
improved canal systems of the United =
States The employments of barges OF
this kind means business upon a larga1
scale.
The navigation of the Mississippi river
from the sea to Minneapolis which haSl
just been perfected, reflects greatI
movement of freight up and down thu
Mississippi and that does not refer to
war orders but to domestic industry.
The men of science who are now earns
estly occupied with works of research
are undoubtedly to give to the United
States formulas for the manufacture CT
dye stuffs and it is presumed that as
one of the results of the war we may
be to a great extent independent of
other countries for this chemical product.
So. also, the men of research are likely
to show how we may become indepenl
dent of Germany SO far as potash is
concerned. With all the money that we +
shall have on hand, including that which |
is owed to us by the allies at the close
of the war, it is inevitable that we shall
undertake the development of our re-
sources upon very large scale; we shall
Increase our foreign commerce until no
ma ton of the world surpasses us in in
ternatioDal trade and, if the temper of
the legislators and of government COM
missions towards the railroad companies
of the United States changes, there is
sure to be very heavy investment OF
capital not only in Improvement of rail-
way systems, but also in the construc-
ton of new and greatly needed lines
The 5000, 100000 which Secretary Nc
Adoo has just announced must be Sc
cured to meet expenses in the present
fiscal year seems to unaccustomed
eyes an enormous figure, as absolutely
it is but If some man would do for
the country what David A. Wells did
In the mid years of our Civil war,
namely, show what the magnitude of our
resources is and how comparatively triv-
ial these war charges are as compared
with these resources. then the figure
named by Secretary McAdoo would
cause no apprehension.