The Washington herald., 1919-02-20
TRADE TURNING
TO MISSISSIPPI
Great Commerce Artery of
100 Years Ago Coming
Back Into Its Own.

some time in April there will gather
at Chicago a considerable company OF
men who are members OF the Missis-
Sappt Valley Association. This organ
lzsdon Is seeking so 70 develop COM
nerce UPON the Mississippi River as to
make II possible for that nation bi-
secnng stream to become a great
commerce bearer. not only for do
nestle markets, but also for world
markets
This meeting. which is to be the first
annual meeting Of the organization.
may be sitting at Chicago at the time
when the Foreign Trade Council is
holding its sixth annual gathering
there. Both organizations have a
common purpose They are seeking TO
expand our foreign commerce. The
members OF the organizations realize
that prosperity in the United States.
involving especially the employment
or labor. is to dapend in considerable
measure upon the increase of our in
ternational trade
\ few weeks ago the Mississippi
valley foreign trade convention held
meeting at New Orleans. The re-
suits OF this gathering may within q
rev years be demonstrated in a gratf-
IylnE way by reason OF increased for
eiEn commerce which originates in the
Mlsslssip1i Valley. including that Of
Ire Ohio
Commerce Again seek. Rivers,
little over hundred years ago
u was the Mississippi River rather
than the adjacent territory which
inspired President Jefferson to ac-
Cept the proposal that the United
states paw France $4,000. 900 for
oours" of time the commerce unon
the Mississippi. BY reason of the
construction of railroads, began to
crindle as II did upon the Ohio.
then there came realization that
through the purchase of the Louisi-
ana territory which the Mississippi
bounded. the United States had ac-
auired an immense area of land
reaching to the Rocky Mountains
and covering all that part of the
United States west Of the AIissis-
sippi which was not under the SOW
ereignty of Spain and Mexico, and
also the Oregon territory. Now
again commerce is seeking the
Mississippi River.
Not until a comparatively recent
time has there been awakening to
the fact that by reason of improve
ments made possible by science this
noble river could again become n
great commerce bearer not in real
and danger Gus competition with the
railroads, but both the river and
the railroads experimenting each
other as transportation bearers.
Undoubtedly the war and the
prospect OF q great increase in our
foreign trade stimulated energetic
and far-seeinS men of the Missis-
sippi and Ohio Valley into taking
such action as would make it pos
sible for these two rivers to have
important relation to world COM
merce-
War Interrupts Plans.
At the New Orleans convention.
which was held in January. the Mis-
sissippi Valley Association was or
Sanized to direct and coordinate the
influences Of all sections of the val
ley. The foreign trade bureau of the
New Orleans Association of Com
merce began 10 sgitate in favor Of
stimulating foreign trade movement
in the Mississippi Valley The plan
met with instant approval 1t was
deemed advisable 10 wait Until peace
was established before active organi-
zation was under way. But the end
OF the war came more speedily than
armistice was signed the foreign
trade commerce which originates in
the valley and is to be transported BY
way OF the Ohio and the Misslssippi
rivers to New Orleans and thence to
the sea, became the object of the as
sociation. II was evident that or
ganiZation was needed and the propo-
sition that a vaIley-wide convention
be held received practically unani-
nous approval OF commercial and
shipping organizations throughout the
valley. OF course, It met with ap-
proval in st. Louis. That city is now
4 center Of greatly revived transpor-
tatiOn movements by water and If
foreign trade WHICH floats down the
Mississippi or up that river IL devel-
oped as highly as is now the hope IL
win be. ST. Louis should become per-
haps the chief internal port 20 far as
foreign trade Is concerned in the
United States. sharing that dIstinc-
ton with New Orleans. This move
ment is Of Importance TO the region
which. while not bordering upon the
Mississippi. nevertheless finds its nat
ural outlet for many kinds Of COM
moditiCs upon that river II has
awakened great enthusiasm in CAL
weston. Mobile and in that peculiar
concerns the great steel manufactur-
ing center. Birmingham. How wide
this Interest was can be demonstrated
by the fact that nearly 800 Of the
more important business. financial
and shipping interests in the import-
ant trade centers of the valley were
represented at the preliminary meet
ing at New Orleans a few weeks ago
InrestiE atins In Europe.
At this time Holm ]. Arnold. n,
Chicago. one of the ablest bankers of
the West, is IN Europe as a represrn-
tative of important banking interests
principally in the West He is with
some associates investigating condi-
tons. especially in the devastated
parts of Europe and he said shortly
before his departure that American
banks would gladly invest i'm unuues-
toned securities which represented
leading public utilities. These public
utilities will be compelled to buy a
considerable part of the equipment
they need in the United States. Mr..
Arnold was one of those who took
part in the preliminary convention al
New Orleans. He was so impressed
by the proposition that he set forth
a plan for the orga anization of a Mis-.
sissippi Valley bank for foreign
trade An institution of that kind he
said would furnish the financial as.
sistance needed for Foreign trade de-
velopment and he hoped that all the
banks which do business in the valley
and which are interested in foreign
trade deVelODmeDt would harop,s