The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-06-03
Senator Fletcher Tells What
This Section Can Be
Depended on to Do.
DIXIELAND RICH
IN RESOURCES
Production of Phosphate in
Florida rs Percent. of
Country's Supply.
ashingtOn Bureau,
Pensacola Journal.

WASHINGTON, June 2.-Senator
Duncan L. Fletcher of Florida. pres
ident of the Southern Commercial Con-
gress, was asked today what the South
can do in the present crisis His re
ply came with promptness and was
as follows:
"She can do what she has always
done in similar circumstances. Juat
refresh your recollection in history.
Begin with the revolution. when her
men marched on foot to the siege of
Boston. They were with Washington
in New Jersey, fought at German
town and Valley Forge. I do not re
call that there is any record of the
men of New England helping to de
fend Charleston or Savannah or in re-
sisting CORVALLIS in Virginia
again, YOU win recall to mind
who stormed Chapultepec. Where
did hunting shirt men under Jack
son at New Orleans come from q?
Wilmington, Lees, FORESTS. Jack
sons, Gordons, Kubys, Smiths, Wheel
ers, Hamptons and Semmes are indi-
genous growths-they spring sponta-
neOusly from her soil.
"She does not boast of great
wealth. She sacrificed that in the
settlement of fundamental differences
regarding domestic questions, and ft
takes time to regain it. But has she
not contributed already the first iron
clad, the first submarine, and the
first commerce raider?
she has no munition factories to
coin products into gold nuggets. but
she may hope to do again what she
has done. She has a monopoly of
cotton, with which the world IS to be
clothed. The by-products of this
plant yield also food for many live
stock.
"The royal yellow pine grows no.
where else and is necessary for -4e
construction of ships and buildings of
all KINGS. The by-products of this
| tree, turpentine and roin, are indis-
/ pensable in war as well as in peace
/ Hard woods, particularly hiCkoty and
I
/ Today there stands timber upon 800,
/ 100000 acres of land in the South
/ and there are in operation 1920
mills, turning out twelve billion fee
/ of lumber annually. Florida alone
/ produces rs per cent of all the phos
/ phate mined in this country, reuuireC
/ in the the manufacture of fertilizer
needed in producing the nations food
Her annual production of iron ore i
/ over 5000, 900 tons, with coke abOu
| the same. She is rich in her coal il
/ Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Ala
bama, Kentucky and West Virginia
The coal area of Alabama alone j
estimated at 5000 square miles an
contains enough coal to last IS
years at an annual output Of 100
100000 There are invested in fac
tories in nine southern states 81 ,746
$4,000. She has developed from he
rivers and mountain streams hydro
! electric energy with which to run he
| factories, electric light plants, stree
cars and the like to the extent of owe
100000 horsepower. and the pOss
bilities in that direction are infinite.
Take the report of the department
of agriculture, issued December. 1916
and you will see that the productio
in twelve southern states eXceede
that of the middle western states b
| S186,475,O0O
"These are only a few things ind
eating material resources. Her pee
pie are soidly behind the presiden
Her young men are crowding to tn
training camps. They are eager t
reach the front They are impatier
to carry the country's flag to tn
fierce ridges of battle.
"They love liberty and feel tn
obligation of every man to make tn
world safe for democracy
RUSSIAN SQUADRON