The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-05-28
: ~
COTTON WANTED
BY RUSSIA
American Cotton Association in
Receipt Of Inquiry From
Soviet Government
THEY WANT HALF
MILLION BALES
Chairman Wannamaker Says He
Has Sensational Information
On Dry Goods Situation


On Dry Goods Situation
Columbia, May 22.-The Russian
soviet government is anxious TO
purchase 100000 bales of American
cotton at the very earliest possible
moment, according to a telegram re-
ceived yesterday by j. Skottowe Wan
namaker, president of the American
Cotton Association. In q statement
given out last night Mr.. Wannamake1-
said that the inquiry regarding the
possibility OF securing this cotton
had come from q man in New York
city, signing himself as A. A. Heller
and designating himself as the COM
mercial representative in the United
States and the purchasing agent OF
the soviet government Of Russia. Ac-
cording to Mr.. Heller the Russians
are anxious to start UP the big cotton
mills at Moscow at once.
That he has information regarding
the dry goods situation which he has
collected at great expense during the
past few days and which if divulged
would cause a sensation was a state
ment made by Mr.. Wannanlaker last
night. This information has been col
!ected from both manufacturers ane
the dry goods dealers, says Mr.. Wan
namsker, and shows that the dry
goods shelves Of Europe are bare and
that they are partially bare in this
country. Europe is naked and our
own country is only half clothed" he
added.
.sI have undoubted facts in my pos
session showing that but for the ma
nipulation> of the markets by the
SPECTATORS and gamblers cotton would
have brought Is cents a pound last
fall" said Mr WannalnakeT. Mill
men have told me recently that the5'
could give s5 cents per pound basis
! nidd1ing for cotton now and make
! money. There IS sure to be a big ad-
vance in the price of cotton. 1t may
not come Immediately although you
see what it did to day and what il
has been doing for the past few weeks.
The Southern farmer has the sltua-
ton in his own hand. He has the
cotton now and the naked world must
get it from him to cloth itself.
Mr.. Wanaamaker urged the farmers
to hold their cotton for a full price
plus interest and plus the mist'eat-
nlent and abuse Of many years. He
said that the order from Russia shows
that the European countries are plan
ming to start their mills up again and
when this is done the demand for cot
ton is going to be so great that the
price is going to so beyond all pre-
vious bounds.
Regarding the order from Russia it
is stated that this was probably in
tended to be turned over to the big
cotton export corporation now in pro-
cess of organization. Officers OF the
latter have not yet been chosen but
will be at an early date.
Chairman Wannamaker said yester-
day that he had urged the farmers
last fall to hold their cotton and those
who have held thus far are probably
very thankful that they have done SO.
Z now urge them to hold on while
longer" he said. 81 understand that
great quantities Of cotton have been
sold for July delivery. This is sure
to force the market up because the
houses doing the selling VIII have to
get the cotton somewhere and they
are going to have to pay 9, handsome
price for it. y
Letters are being sent 10 every.
member Of congress explaining the
NJ q =
er He believes that much OF the mis-
treatment of the South and feeling
against this section among the men,
bers Of congress has resulted from
ignorance of the conditions surround
ing the production Of cotton. It is
Mr. Wannamaker's belief that the
campaign of education which the
American Cotton Association is
launching VIII prove Of very great
benefit.
There are many people north Of
the Mason and Dixon lire VINO do not
know that cotton has to be handled
by the human hand from the time it
opens in the boil until the cloth is
made. The man that handles it is
entitled to q living; is entitled to
have home to live in. schools to send
his children to and is entitled TO wages
which viii enable him TO give these
children advantages. We arc setting
forth the fact in our letters to the
people OF the North that this has not
been possible with prices which the
.>otton farmers have gotten during the
past few years