The Washington herald., 1918-11-04
COTTON FUTURE
BIG AFTER WAR
Holland Points to Industrial
Factors Sure to Cause
Great Demand. -

'f' ~ OCCASIONALLY heard
criticism because cotton has. so far.
been exempt from price-nxine. yet
those who are fairrninded wonder
whether the reasons-econoru,c ana
Industrial. and especially after-the-
war eonditions-may not be SUFFICIENT
" good for permitting cotton 70 COM
nnano any price which the open mar
ket offers.
However, II ia not a Question ~
priee-hxing for cotton, but on the fn-
ture relation Of this greatest OF Amer
lean agricultural staples. escept corr.
10 the industrial conditions which ~rfIi
aTlse after the war is ended. which
oiIers a problem for serious CONSIDER
auoh' The cotton crop of 1917. m
cluoing the money received for nv
products, was Of the value Of a utfi.
over s2.0Oo 10000. Its rnooey vnlue
was almost exactly equal 10 the FSrst
L,nerty Loan. These g. opo. 900 600
which were received for a little over
..,, ...yy.Oo bales OF cotton were cons,d-
aOiy more than twice as much as
planters in the first yesr OF fBSNrsy
although they harvested near4v 1s
ooocH bales OF cotton.
Ihe present outlook is. seoorsJnr
TO the authorities. that IN. cotto,
harvest Of this year will. unless tbe-.
be very heavy depreciation in p-cI-
bring to the Southern plsn,e-. =,
least s2.5oo 10000.
The war has taught the Ame5csn
people the magnitude OF the vsrfo,,si
IeLauons which cotton bears 10 the
ihoustrlai life Of the world IL re-
Deeh sald on good authority fhas
there Is no other commodity. erce,t
iron and steel, which pIays so sresf
part In the industrial life OF tbe
world and the well being OF its in
hahitants as cotton does.
The chemists have within three or
Iour years perfected formulas which
seem almost astounding, whereby cot
Industrial arts, although a few years
aEo II was not in this way enpIoves
Ihere Is at Columbus. Georgia. a cot
ton manufacturing plant which en-
tslled an investment OF s. 900 O0O which
Is turning out 53 different weaves OF
cotton. many OF the products being
designed for other purposes than
clothing.
Cotton FACTORIES DESTROYED.
After the war is ended and indus
trial life in Europe begins again.
there is undoubtedly TO be a very
great demand for cotton, and e.
pecially for the cotton OF the South.
But the authorities believe that ~
VIII take long time TO meet this
demand, because so much Of the cot
ton manufacturing areas Of Europe
nave been destroyed by the savagerv
OF war that years may elap9e tsT5F.~-
II VIII be possible to rebuild them.
The authorities at Washington es-
innate that throughout the world 10 =
10000 spindles were at the begin
ming OF the war occupied in weaving
coIIoh cloth. Germany had nearly
l-e@Oo spindles. Austria nearly &
,yoV". Russia a little over 5000 O0.
rance 10000 and Belgium more
than 100000. Aggregating these 5s-
ures il is found that these Eve ,,,,r,-
ules were operating cotton Spindles
before the war in excess OF like op-
erations in the United States
But where are 70 be found the me,
the skilled artisans who will be need
eo IN order to restore the cotton in
dustry in these countriesY GraduaIIy
some OF them may get back frorn
the helds Of battle. but the chances
are that there is TO be a consider.-
bic falling or in the suppIv Of skfIIaa
labor, even though il may he nCssf-
hle. with relative speed, 70 rebuiI5
the textile industry plants OF Franga
and Belgium
should Restrict Germany
Germany destroyed, in many cases
as It appears simply through the ten
; dency to vandalism. many Of the minis
in Northern France and Belgiup.
More and more the impression Is thst.
action OF this kind was not due en-
urely 10 a savage desire to DESTROY
but In part to desire to impefr mar
ufactuTinG industries in Belgium ana
rance so that Germany would be IN
q better condition 10 enter into IN.
WORLDS great war for international
trade
Therefore it is presumed that among
other propositions which must BE- con
sioered when peace arrangements ara
under way is one which IL adopted wifi
make II impossible for Germany or
Austria 20 import or manufacture anV
cotton until these mills which the Ger
man army destroyed have been fully
repaired or reconstructed.
Then again ii is certain that for AZ
least tive years after the termination
OF the war cotton fibre must be re-
lied upon for making up the shortage
In wool and fax. There will De
various other extensive uses for cot
ton fbre, so that II is reasonable 70
expect that demand will be fairly
well reflected In a high market prica
for American cotton after the war Is
ended. There is sure 10 be a heavy
demand for American cotton GOODS
and TO some extent for American cot.
ton in South American countr1es
where an unexpected great develop
ment Of the cotton growing and manu-
featuring industry has occurred since
the European war began. ar
HoLI,AND- 4