Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-06-28
Control Of the Cotton King.

controls Congress. The editor OF the
y. Y. Journal OF Commerce declares,
the necessity OF employing eco
nomic pressure TO bring the German
people To- reason has, in the councils
OF the entente, long passed the stage
Of controversy" and he advocates
that the United states threaten a
boycott against a Germany which
hcsitatcs to make full restoration or
to join "A general pact Of disarma-
ment and Cancellation" insisting that
We, with our allies in combination,
must be prepared 10 impose a boy
colt so stun. so united. so effective.
that such hesitat!ons will disappear
William Harbutt Dawson is quoted
in the Contemporary Review" as
recommending the allies have as lit
tel TO do with Germany as possible
after the war and his formula pro-
vides for restoring to her no colo
MES. refusing her access to their
materials. whether home or colonial,
neither using her shipping nor az
fording her the use OF their own"
etc. etc. Last February President
Wilson suggested that If the military
masters of the German peop.e re-
manned in the saddle after the war
the world would see to 1t that Ger
many had no access TO indispensable
raw materials and TO indispensable
markets This topic is a live one to-
day.
But the example which this coun-
try has been afforded by the Con-
gressional cotton ring. since we got
into the war: should convince US Of
the utter futility OF any attempt on
our part to carry out such n policy as
long as that ring encircles our legis-
lation. German boycott legislation
could never get by Democrat,
Congress for the simple reason that
Democratic Congress is absolutely
under the heel OF Democrat members
from the cotton growing states, and
they in turn are the marionettes of
the cotton barons. The widest
imagination cannot conceive that
the ring which blocks very attempt
to lay "A nominal war tax on raw cot
ton would permit the enactment of
any legislation having Tor its pur-
pose the export embargo TO Germany
OF that product. The German gov
eminent knows fun well that with
the Southern Democracy in control
of our legislation. threat of an
economic boycott would be nothing
but stuffed club and for this rea-
son;
Cotton is the Mammon OF the
south. II IS she raw material for
which Germany VIII have the most
overw helming demand after the war.
There isn't an ounce of cotton avail
able In Germany today. Her ware
houses are swept clean. She is us
ing nettle fiber and such substitutes
as her inventive genius can create.
She has countless spindles idle, and
she will have workmcn galore when
peace comes to Europe. For the
hve years preceding the outbreak of
the war l9l0-it inclusive) our ex-
ports OF cotton 10 Germany totaled
an annual average OF 2.4i0, 900 bales,
valued at $l54.400.000 This ac-
counted Tor nearly 80 per cent OF our
entire cotton export. The annual
arS.lge OF our total exports of all
goods to Germany for those years
was 3oi,lo0 o0o. so that cotton alone
accounted tor over so per cent OF that
total in years when The export pound
price was IL to lic instead of Ssc as
at present. Germany was the larg-
est foreign buyer OF the chief staple
of the South as well as a large pur
chaser of Southern tobacco, colt m
seed meal. turpentine, and oil.
With these facts in mind does any,
one believe that the cotton ring
would tolerate legislation which
would cut off the German market for
raw cotton? Would the cotton harons.
who have catcgorically refused to
support the government in time of
war. b. permitting a slight tax OF
their product. acquiesce in a policy
which would interfere with their
continuing profits after war had
ceased? Not on the life Of your
Uncle Samuel! Before President
Wilson could bring economic pres
sure to bear against Germany the
cotton crowd would have to be
canned. II this policy should prove
absolutely vital to our success in this
war-if its importance should over
ride the practical and economic con-
siderations OF our future trade. the
Republican party would support the
President in such a measure. as it
has. supported him in every other
osccssary war measure. of which the
drHftSlav .fsva. conspicuous examnle