Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-07-14
U. s. Plans tO Utilize Southern
 Ports Relieve Congestion in East
Georgia Coast Cities May Become Terminals for Mer- chantmen in Trans Atlantic Service and for
 Handling Supplies for American Soldiers.

Washington, July 13.-A survey of southern ports will be put under way | soon by the Shipping boards port and | HIarboE Facilities commission as part l of the Boards plan for developing 1 fuller use of southern harbors to re- ] lieve congestion in the east.
 Shipment of sectional products such
 as cotton, naval stores and lumber
 and even grain from the middle west, | through the ports of the south in- ] stead of through Norfolk, Baltimore,
 Philadelphia, New York and Boston,
 is eNpested to aid this winter in pre- I venting repetition of conditions which prevailed six months ago, delaying
 the movement of needed supplies to
 the Allies and the American forces in
 France
 In beginning its work in the south,
 it is likely that the Port and Har- l bor Facilities commission will start
 with one of the Georgia ports. be.
 cause Of their proximity to the most l productive part of the southeast, and
 their comparative nearness to Eurupe
 and South America.
 The commissions work is expected to result in the shipment through southern ports in the next twelve 1 months of greater part than ever 1 before of the South's annual output
 of $6,OO0, 100000 worth of farm pro-
 ducts, not including livestock, and al so the fruit of southern mills. The bulk of many products origin | ating in the South and Middle west. l instead of being sent by the nearer
 line to Georgia and other ports, have been sent in the past by devious
 routes far to Northern ports. Year after year these methods persisted. although it is asserted no valid req son could be given for their contin- l ance. Practically all of the cotton 1 received at Fall river and New Bed 1 ford and such of it received at Prov | idence has been transhipped at New York. A circuitous, expensive way of shipment this was, when the cotton
 could have been sent by direct route | all over the world from such porth | as Savannah and Brunswick.
 Georgia is considered the most inn portant of the Atlantic coast cotton
 states. It produces variously about
 1,90O,0O0 to 2,700,00O bales a year. For years the practice has been to send
 much of GeOrgia's cotton on coast wise steamers to Northern ports,
 mainly New York and Boston. Frcm | these ports it has been forwarded to other points either to the New Eng
 land manufacturing cenkers or in
 export to foreign countries. In fiscal year ended June 30, 1914. a pre-wa: year when ships and exports were moving normally, 430,000 bales of 1 cotton in round numbers were export ed from New York. 95,000 from Bos- ton, 193,0OO from Baltimore and 5S.- ] 900 from Philadelphia-a total from these four ports to foreign countries l of 776,000 bales of cotton. Not all of this, 1t should be explained, came from Georgia ports.s Yet in that 1 same year, according to the United
 States department of commerce fig l ures, only a little more than twica as much, or 1,515 ,O0O bales of cot. ton were exported to foreign conr.- l tries from Georgia. the seat of the South Atlantic cotton industry. 1D-
 deed, the report of the Savannah Cot ton Exchange puts Savannah's cotton
 exports to foreign countries in the season from August to July 31. 1913- IA, at only 1.245, 100 bales of the to- tai of 1,S22,0OO bales shipped from Savannah.
 Cotton is only one instance of a 1 variety of products that could. be shipped direct from Georgia ports. to
 Europe. It is obviously a much short CT route from these ports than it is from Boston or New York to Central American and South American ports, and via the Panama Canal to the pa- cific.
 The ports are there. too. all ready
 Savannah is only 26 miles from the
 ocean. Clear from the mouth of the Savannah river to the city is dredg- ed channel varying in width from 1900 feet at the mouth of the river to 500 feet opposite the city. Along its whole length this channel has
 minimum depth of 26 feet at mean low water. allowing the movement or large ocean steamships. But to such a small extent has this port been used hitherto for foreign trade that in the calendar year 1913 Ga normal trade year) less than one-fifth of it's B.
 154,000 sea-borne tonnage and less than one-fourth of its $360, 100000
 Mater-borne commerce was direct foreign trade.
 Then there is the port of Bruns- wick with it's improved channel run ming IA 1.2 miles from the city to deep ocean water This channel has minimum width varying from 150 feet at Academy Creek to 300 feet at the Turtle river. It's depth at
 mean low water is from 20 to g feet
 feet at different points. The $5S.000.- 900 of sea-borne commerce done by
 the port of Brunswick in the calend
 ar year 1913 gives no adequate of the
 capacity of this port. There is every
 indication that it will develop to be
 one of the most active ports in the
 South. y.
 Both of these ports are much near
 CT the sea than any other American
 ports.
 Savannah has been the leading port
 in the United States for the ship