The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-18
For the Good of
 the Community

River Plate region increased from 127.- 794 tons in 1914 to 160, PAP tons in 1918, this gain being made despite adverse con dltlons due to the war. Germany was the greatest loser, practically all of that coun- try's losses coming to the United States.
 Argentina and Uruguay are reported to be stocked up in tin plate and may not need much of this during the next year or two, but Argentina, especially, is a heavy purchaser of agricultural machinery and implements.
 It was reported some time ago that one of the la5 est agricultural machinery and implement manufacturing concerns in the United States contemplated erecting a branch factory in Birmingham to take care of It's South American trade Wheth- CT thls undertakes into fact is yet prob lematlcal, but in any event great quanti- ties of these will go through gulf ports during the next few years
 Orders recently published directed that export shipments from the middle west and northwest, which have heretofore gone through New York and other North Atlantic ports, should be routed by way of South Atlantic and gulf ports. This order Will take effect whenever there is a suf-
 
 ports to handle the trade.
 The United States shipping board has from time to time in the last few weeks allotted additional ships to the South At lantlc and gulf ports, and within another year 1t is expected there will be available all the bottoms needed for this purpose
 Birmingham, at the head of navigation on the Warrior river, with it's differential rates giving her an advantage over other cities Tn the south and southeast, is in po- sltion to become the greatest iron and steel export center in the south
 Birmingham steel products are now go- ing to Mobile by way of the Warrior river. and manufacturers of steel products in other cities in the Birmingham zone have made inquiries of the Port of Birmingham corporation about shipping facilities.
 Sugar mill machinery, of which con- siderable quantity is made in Birming- ham; foundry products, narrow-gauge cars for sugar plantation railroads, and other iron and steel products made in Bir- mlngham and the district are needed in Argentina, especially. Argentina is com Ing to be one of the largest sugar cane growing countries in the world, and more eeAANA AAiOI V A11etSIl11lOIy OI Cl1C hIlQ uSCu III that industry will be in demand there. This offers fine opportunity for the Bir- mingham manufacturer.
 Exports of agricultural implements to the River Plate region from the United States declined from 21 ,O66 long tons in 1914 to 10,824 long tons in 1918, due to agricultural, financial and labor diff culties in Argentina. These troubles have been adjusted and a large increase in this trade may be expected in 1920.
 The United States captured the hydrau- lie cement trade of the River Plate region during the war, which previously was con trolled by Belgium. In 1914 cement ex- ports from the United States to this region were 8,510 long tons, rising to 33, 766 long tone in 1918. There is a large demand for cement in Argentina owing to the scarcity of timber and building stone
 There are several cement factories in Alabama, one of the largest being at Leeds, few miles east of Birmingham Demopolis, on the Warrior river, has for a long time made cement of high grade or, oo ovtorcivo coo1o