The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1923-01-18
THE BOIL WEEVIL
MENACE TO NATION
AND TO THE WORLD
The World Faces Cotton Famine.
Incumbent Upon Every Agency OF
Cove nliieGt To Find a Remedy
and End 1t Soon.

Cotton is ia many respects the
most important single industry in
its production as Il raw material to
its manufacture and its wide rami-
fications in world trade. 1t repre-
SCENTS ;n aggregate investment in
lands. in mills and congate indus
triesaof $50, 600, 100000 or over.
The $1,000, 5000 invested in
cotton mills, knitting mills and kind
red interests. and many billions in
its production.
The development of the cotton nj
dustry during the first half of the
last century was the greatest bust
ness achievement during that period
in The world. Beginning with a pro-
duction of a few bales in the early
years of that century, cotton grow
ing developed in the South to a point
where it largely dominated the fl
nances and politics of this country
and of Europe.
During the Civil War the famine
i'll cotton endangered the welfare OF
millions of people in England. The
poverty in the Lancashire district
during that four year period stands
out as one OF the awful records in
the life of an industrial center.
\ few months ago one of the fore
most cotton manufacturers of Eng
land wrote 10 an American friend
that the inability of England to Sc
cure its usual supply Of American
cotton, in any one year, would cause
greater distress in the Lancashire
district than did the War. Millions
Of people in Lancashire are wholly
dependent on the manufacture of cot
ton. Millions of people throughout
the world-hundreds of millions, in
declare dependent for clothes up
on the production, from the South's
staple, of the finished cloth. Millions
of people in this country are directly
dependent upon the growing and
handling of cotton, while the financi-
al interests of the nation would be
shaken to their foundation by loss
of the cotton trade. The South could
weather the storm better than ony
other section, because the South
could turn its farm lands into the
production of diversified agricul
ture, once more regaining the pros
pcrity which it never would have
lost if this section had not by force
of circumstances unwiSely centered
its agriculture upon the production
of cotton.
This great industry, without which
the world could scarcely maintain
its civiiZation-for without cotton
clothes we would sink back into bar
bariSm-is menaced by the boil
weevil. This is not merely a menace
10 the South, for the South could
stand the shock of its cotton crop
being destroyed. better than the
world could stand the loss of cotton
goods. 1t is n menace to the nation
a menace TO civilization itself.
1t is, therefore. incumbent upon
every agency of this Government and
OF all other civilized governments;
UPON chemical manufacturers. cotton
manufacturers and financierS, to
spend money with the utmost free
dom in encouraging chemists and
others TO find remedy for the boil
weevil. Various remedies are being
developed some of them are more
or less successful; but the task is
very great. The danger of the des-
tructiou of the cotton industry is so
vast that until the whole nation
realizes the extent and Importance
OF that industry and the seriousness
of the menace the task will not be
tackled on scale commensurate
with The magnitude of the problem
To be solved.
The world faces Il cotton famine;
civilization may be at stake by the
loss of cotton. But we believe
remedy will be found We believe