Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-21

WASHINGTON, Sept. LIT is difficult, as a
w rule, to arouse and sustain interest in
w subject with which the people rub elbows
every day. If this were not true, it would be
hardly worth while to write anything about cot
tona subject that is to the interest of every
Georgian 1t is all wrong to suppose, as many
people do suppose that only politicians and farmers
have concern with cotton. Every man, woman and
child in Georgia has concern with cotton, whether
thew know it or not First last it is their
bread and meat While all of them should know
it and feel an interest in it, there is doubt whether
half of them know that cotton has been placed
on the list of embargoed exports by the United
States government
Those who know about the embargo have been
alarmed out of all proportions to the probable
affect of the action, the wisdom and justice OF
which is not to be questioned The people have
been misled by unfair mill men and INSCRIPTIONS
market manipulators, moved by motives so obvious
that one marves at the gullbility of the public.
The recent depression in the price of cotton
has been due solely to the methods of the unfair
and unpatrotic mill men and the INSCRIPTIONS
market manpulators. Instead of operating to
reduce the price of cotton the government
barge on the staple invited attention to condi-
ton that should have elevated the price of cotton
to a figure nearly representing its real value
as represented by the law of supply and demand.
careful study of the cotton situaton-statis-
tics of production and consumption covering Pc
Rod of years-furnishes convincing proof that this
years crop should, and will bring price far in
excess of the figures at which it is quoted today,
unless the farmers frightened into selling by
product The available supply of cotton, COM
puted by government crop experts, is far less than
the assured demand, measured by the require
ments of the world and the farmer who sells at
the current price will lament his action.
The export administrative board, charged, as its
name indicates, with the duty of regulating ex-
ports of American products and commodities dur
ing the war, has placed embargo cotton, not
to restrict or reard it's movement, but to that
none of it reaches the enemy.
The action places restrictions limitations
upon the quantity of cotton that may be shipped
to our allies Neutral markets only effected.
That is to say there restrictions the cotton
that may be shipped to Holland. Denmark, Nor
way Sweden Switzerland, Spain-restrictions that
make it certain of the cotton they receive will
find it's way into Germany or Austria Turkey
Bulgaria.
Market manipulators and unfair mill men, bent
upon bearing down the price of cotton for selfish
motives, accepted the embargo order a means
of circulating transformation and untruths as to
the quantity of cotton that would be shut out of
the neutral markets. By showing that a vast lot
of cotton could not reach neutral mills, the selfish
interests created the mistaken belief of a cotton
surplusage, thereby depressing the price at time
when the farmers were beginning to market their
crops.
As a matter of fact, less than 900, 900 bales Of
cotton went to the neutras last year, and Of this
number 366,262 bales went to Spain, country