Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-01-10
FREDERIC j. HASkIN'S ARTICLE

hand. The seriousness of the growers atti-
tude is indicated by the case of an ex-sena-
tor from a southern state who is holding his
crop for the past three years. and announces
his purpose to hold out until he gets what
he considers a reasonable rate.
The, result of the cotton growers stand
is that very little cotton is being sold while
the factories are working with material al
ready on hand. Part of the demand is re-
moved by the ending of hostilities. Millions
of bales of cotton have been used by the
government in airplane wings, tents, uni
forms, munitions, and automobile tires.
The sudden slackening in the armys de-
mand for these things is releasing cotton for
civilian use, but unfortunately for manufac-
turers and public, the amount released by
the ending of the war cannot make up for
that which is being held by the owners.
With not enough cotton in the market for
the consumption, the United States can
scarcely expect to export in the near future
the amount of cotton desired by European
nations. At present England, Italy, and
Belgium have no cotton for their spindles
and the amount in other countries of Europe
is negl1ble. The United States, as the great
est cotton-producing nation of the world is
expected to keep these facts in mind and to
export as much cotton as can be spared and
at the earliest possible time.
Shipping deficiencies and our own heavy
demands on the southern cotton crop cut our
years of war. Every nation at war has felt
the seriousness of the lack of cotton
throughout Europe. Cotton is prominent in
that nearly endless list of materials, each of
which is said to have controlled the fate of
the war. An abundant supply of cotton in
Germany or a greater shortage in England
at the beginning of the war, would, in the
opinion of many people, have turned the tide
Of war so strongly to insure an early
German victory. The European cotton situa-
ton is summed up in the fact that six
months ago there were $4,000 bales of cot
ton in European mills, as compared with
3,175,000 just before the war.
Placing the five or six million bales held
by southern growers on the market would
not, of course, relieve the European stua-
ton entirely. But it would bring the United
States supply up to normal, and make pos
sible larger shipments to allied nations.
Continuation of the war would have brought
the rise in price demanded by the growers.
That is, the raise in price would have come
if the War Industries Board had not fixed
the price of cotton-a measure which was
holly contested and which has now been
finally dropped.
But the return of peace has apparently
delayed the rise, and for the present the
prospects are that all things made Of cotton
are to be rather scarce and consequently
higher, not lower, than during the war.
The range of commodities dependent upon
the cotton crop proves its Importance to in
dustry and to the people. No part of the
plant is wasted. Cotton meal and hulls of
the seed are fed to stock; the oil is used in
butter, lard, salad oils, and medicines; the
cotton itself has uses too numerous to men
ton; and the linters are used in gun powder
and manufacture of silk. Close to half a
million bales are used up every year by one
American industry, automobile manufacture.
Some automobile concerns even own cotton
plantations and raise the amount needed by
them for tires and tops