Americus times-recorder., 1917-01-14

tai Trust Company, of Baltimore
You ask me to give my views con
cerning the opportunities held out b!
the southern country.
Facing no serious after-the-"al
problem. the South enters the new
year with firm confidence in its pros
perity. 1t no longer requires great
faith or much imagination to forecast
the development Of this section OF the
country. The realities are so impress
sjye in presenting conditions in the
South, the influx of the capital Of hard
beaded business men is so continuous
and the profits being realized are so
definite that the story of the South may
be readily set down in exact figures
The South is laboring under great
er haL dicap during the Ecropean war
than any other section Of the country
with four of it's great wealth-produc-
ing natural products, viz, lumber. nav
al stores, phosphate rock, and also cot
ton-in less poTtions-largely smut
ont Of Inc export trade by the war, the
whole lection is nevertheless vibrating
with Industry and growing richer eV-
arv ,,ay. In fact the rate of prosperity
in the South today is measuraDly
greater than it has been at any time
lr the history Of the new South. There
lore, this section does not face any
widesL read disturbance, should the
war end over night On the contrary
such an event would be signal for
new bust of activity, particularly In
relation to the four products named.
Out OF the conditions existing in the
South today there is room for fashion
ing an economic policy of far-reachlng
iInpoltance to the whole country. IL
nay be summed up in few words. 1t
the iced for a more balanced de-
selopn.ent of our country for revival
Ii the pioneer spirit among our peo-
lie which a few decades ago created
me development in the West, adding
thereby enormous resources to the
commercial and industrial prosperity
of the country at large.
South is Great Asset.
The .outh offers today the greatest
uldeve oped national asset of this
county,. 1t has been well said that
tie de. elopment of the South means
ae ell. ichment of the North. / am
,enide.t that we will not reach
oLer.y balanced national develop
lent t.ntil the South is contributing
eate hare of its products to the
uasiuo.5 OF the country than it is do
Ing TO. ay. We cannot attain this de-
.op1nt mt without a revival of the
yaonee4 spirit, because the undertak-
as is Gig one. There are over 10O,-
.,DO00 acres of unoccupied or crudely
sliled Iarm lands in the South awaiting
lie into igent and hardy pioneer. This
means Aearly seven hundred thousand
.arms of 100 acres each.
l.ere is a constructive program
vorths Of national attention. With
oa.,. number of growing days due to
Ira,.a conditions, than any other
A..a lhe country. and with the ad-
.l..la, of proximity to the markets
e...vE ed the most densely populated
.... Of the United States, the
sudtn olds out a most inviting op-
1o-tuA. y. l would like to reach the
are making large wages in
Ia Al centers working in munition
Il .or.,s and otherwise employed by
IS part of wnise business will
q.. Ia nett away when the European
er, with this message: Save
,t4- i.aaey and go South"
ne, can safely invest both their
- las and their future in the develop
Il. Il .he South and be certain that
the ext ten yea.s they will have
alth more health and more
IA than they ever before realiz-
- WA be within their grasp. l be-
1t money can be invested al
rost Il where in the South with reas-
usiness sense. and there will
atc.uc q large profit to the investor in
ssu.ac decade. This is the advice
~ H. my close friends. 1t is the ad-
.t.o ta,t have followed myself.
G.eat Climate and Land.
Tbe outh with its matchless elm
6 ereat areas of arabic lands, anc
Is countless opportunities for mel
omen of intelligence and indus
IL tte surest aud safest place fol
home-seeker that can be found any
ehere II the world. I wish to EN-
"a Gs the relation of the settlemen
the south to the question Of we'll
ala3lei national prosperity.