Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-04-22
MARKETS ABROAD
TO SOON OPEN TO
SOUTH'S COTTON
immense Demand Win Be.
Created, Senator Smith
Declares, Urging Pfepara-
ton for Demand ,


ern and middle Europe will soon be
open, thereby creating an immense
demand for the south's great staple,
was the prediction made Saturday
by Senator Hoke Smith in state
ment discussing the cotton situation
in considerable detail.
TIE senator urges all cotton mer-
chants in the United States to pre-
pare at once to meet the great de-
mand that will Immediately follow
the opening of the markets in north
ern and middle Europe. In order to
go irto the market and buy cotton
from southern farmers who are hold
ing it. Some southern cotton is
held by merchants and supply men,
some by spot dealers who bought at
high tide, but probably the bulk of
the hold-over from last years crop
is in the hands of the farmers.
Senator Smith, as is we'll known,
has devoted himself assiduously
throughout his career in the senate
to broadening the markets for the
sale of cotton, and to preventing cot
ton exchanges which sell future con.
tracts from using contracts by which
the price may be adversely affected.
During the past several months his
attention has been particularly d1-
rected to the issuance of licenses
for cotton to move freely to foreign
persistently urged this matter upon
the War Trade Board, and as re-
suit has succeeded in having num-
Der of restrictions removed. He now
believes the time is near when the
whole blockade upon cotton ship
mentS to northern and middle Europe
will be removed.
Senator Smiths Statement.
Senator Smiths statement on the
situation follows:
"H wish to urge all cotton mer-
pare at once to meet the demand for
cotton which must come speedily in
northern and middle Europe.
"It is we'll known that President
Wilson has urged for some time the
removal of the blockage against Ger
many and Austria, with the view that
the German people must have an OPP
portunity to work in order to meet
the indemnity which the Allies just
ly demand.
eve are advised by the press with
in the last two or three days that ne
is urging a withdrawal of the block
ade as soon as Germany signs the
peace terms. We are further advised
that Germany will be given an OPP
portunity on the tWenty-fifth of this
month to sign, and will be required
to sign by the fifteenth of May.
"The probabilities all are that ship
ments Of cotton can be made freely
thirty days. In the meantime, L have
been corresponding with the War
Trade Board and am urging them to
issue licenses freely. to cotton mer-
chants to ship cotton on their own
account, or to cotton merchants re-
siding in Holland, Denmark, Norway
and Sweden.
cat present cotton can only be
shipped to Holland by consignment
to the Netherlands Overseas Trust;
to Denmark by consignment to the
Danish Chamber of Industry; to Nor
way by consignment to the NorWeg-
ian Cotton Mills Association and to
Sweden by consignment to the SWeo-
ish Cotton Spinners Association.
81 have received, during the past
few days. letter from the war
| Trade Board which states that, with
these restrictions, there can now be
shipped to Sweden $4,000 bales, to
Norway 1000 bales, to Denmark g.
900 bales and to Holland $4,000 bales.
Blockade Excuse Removed
1.-THE excuse for restricting snip
ments to Holland, Norway, Denmark
and Sweden is the possibility of the
cotton going into Germany and Aus
| tria. AS it is evident there VIII be
lso further occasion within a rev
days for restricting shipments into
Germany and Austria, the war trade
board should permit Immediately the
free licensing of cotton for shipments
to these four countries. 1t would
scarcely be possible for merchants
to get their vessels and make their
transactions to put cotton into these
countries before the blockade against
Germany and Austria is raised. Ger
tainly they could not get any con-
siderable quantity of cotton into
these countries before the blockade
is raised. What I wish to do IS
to call to the attention of the trade
the importance of taking immediate
steps to handle cotton into northern
and middle Europe.
II have had the subject of ships
up within the past fe wdays, both
by letter and telegram, with Mr.; j.
H. Rosseter, director of the United
States shipping board. He advised
me yesterday that he expected to be
able to give much needed aid to
cotton very shortly and within thirty
days to allocate ships for cotton load
ing.
seems to be open for cotton mer-
chants to enter at once upon the
movement of cotton under a demand
which ought to consume a large
quantity of cotton. 1t is to their
interest to handle it and it is to the
interest of all holding cotton that
it should be handled"