The Washington herald., 1918-02-09
WAR DEVELOPS
USE OF COTTON
Holland Says Fabric Is Now
d Utilized for Many New
Purposes.


The new demand for cotton reflects
the wonderful increases in the use
Of cotton fabrics which has charac-
terized certain industries of the Uni
ted States within a few years.
This increase does not refer to the
by-products OF cotton such as cotton
seed oil or for munitions of war but
to the actual use Of cotton fiber itself
in various forms in the manufacture
OF commodities which only fifteen
years ago we're unknown.
Seventeen years ago, aside from the
use Of cotton for sheetings and other
material of like character, there were
only four commodities manufactured,
the base of which was cotton fiber.
Today there are manufactured in the
United States and principally by one
Of the largest American industries
fnty-seven different commodities all
Of which have as their base cotton
weave of some kind. The chemists
and other men OF science are now oc-
cupied with research which. II sue
cessful. will show how considerably to
increase this. until recently unexpected
employment of cotton fiber. This has
now been recognized by the Washing
ton authorities as an essential indus
try. --.
Cotton Now Essential.
One of the romances of American
agricultural development in recent
years would be written were the story
o. the development of the cotton
manufacturing industry to be even
= briefly told.
For instance, only nine years ago an
American industry having millions Of
NIT FaN
weave of various kinds could be put
to new and very important CONNER
cisl uses invested SS,O00.OOO in the
building and equipping Of a mill in
Georgia whose output was to be ex-
clusively certain specialties of cotton
weave.
There Is no other mill of its kind
in the United States or probably in
the world. This investment of $3,-
100000 in a cotton manufactory of
a new kind represents the extTaordi-
nary development of the use of cot
toni fabric as a base of commodities
which science, chemistry. enterprise
and brains have within a few years
perfected and put to successful COM
percial use.
A Romance of 1914.
When in 1914 the market price
of cotton dropped from IA cents to
cents a pound, occasioning there
by much anxiety and even distress
among the cotton planters, and
leading to important suggestive ac-
tion by the Secretary of the Treas
ury, Mr.. McAdoo, the question was
presented to the directors of a large
industry: What shall we do at this
time?" The country echoed and re-
echoed the call: Buy a bale of cot
ton to help the planters"
President Wilson set the example
by buying one bale These direc-
tors decided that instead of buying
one bale they would buy all of the
cotton they could secure within
reasonab BILE transportation distance
of Columbus, Ga.
They bought many thousand bales
paying at the rate of cents a
pound. They were regarded as
dangerously reckless because of the
belief that cotton would drop to
4 cents pound.
They put up a number of large
storage warehouses of modern fire.
proof construction and these were
filled speedily because many per-
sons believed that the price of cot
ton would drop lower than Z cents
q pound. This enormous purchase,
Rowever. was the first turn of the
tide from ebb to flood so far as the
cotton market was concerned Not
since that time has cotton been
lower than 7 cents a pound and it
has been quoted as high as 80 cents
a pound.
sixteen Million square Yards.
Out of A chance incident similar in
principle to many from which have
come highly important commercial re-
suits. an American industry under
took to manufacture a few years ago
wall covering of which the base was
cotton cloth. The chemists taught
how this could be done.
At first the market was skepticaI.
But last year this one industry manu-
factured and marketed considerably
over sixteen million square yards of
cotton cloth for wall covering, an
amount SO great that it required three
hundred carloads to remove IL from
the manufactures to the various mar
kets- A few years ago an employ
ment Of cotton in this way would not
have been dreamed of.
Then again the chemists and other
men OF science were asked some years
ago whether it was possible for them
10 prepare a substance which, having
been applied to a certain weave of
cotton cloth could be found to be an
adequate substitute for manv OF the
uses of leather.
The chemists immediately bu.iad
themselves with this problem ana
after . while they satisfactorily
solved it.
Today an enormous quantity Of so-
called imitation leather Of which cot
ton fabric is the base is manufac-
tured, a great deal OF it being bought
by the manufacturers of automobiles
There was a time since the war
when apprehension prevailed lest
there be a great scarcity of sheep
skin Again the chemists were ask
ed II they could prepare something
which. being applied to a certain
weave Of cotton. could be found TO
be a satisfactory substitute for
sheepsIin.
q The chemists did do this and to-
day great quantities OF a satisfac-
tory substitute for sheepskin, of
which cotton fabric is the base, are
being manufactured and marketed.
1t Is the presumption that the de-
fnand for this commodity will in
crease after the war is ended.
In view Of the fact that science,
encouraged and well paid by men of
capital who are also men of enter
prise and foresight has made 1t
possible within a few years to pro-
dlIce' nearly sixty commodities of
which cotton fabric is the base and
for which there is increasing de-
mAnd. the cotton planters Of the
South should ind announcement in