The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-21
MAKING THE SEAPORT KNOWN

The Age-Herald believes that it is per. forming a distinct service to the seaport and to. the people of Alabama in print. ing each Sunday one of the series of articles by MT. John c. Colwen, Jr setting forth essential facts regarding the port of Mobiles tonnage, it's claim on future commerce and it's many and various appeals to shipping and to com merce. These articles, ten in all, the first having appeared September z, have been prepared by MT. Colwell only after careful, experienced and painstaking study of Mobile and all of the great territory which the people of Alabama are now eauipping their port to serve. Taken all together, they represent as full and reliable exposition of the sea- port and its meaning to Alabama and to ocean commerce as has ever been elab- orated.
 On the one hand, according to MT. Colwell, Mobile is located favorably to receive rail and waterborne goods from the entire central producing region. Minneapolis is less than 1900 miles away, Omaha less than HOO miles, and the cities of Des Moines, Chicago, Kan sas City, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Louisville and Cairo are less than thousand miles. Memphis and Atlanta are less than four hundred miles from this port. Every month reveals progress in rate adjust ments and new transportation routings and connections which expedite the movement of export goods to Mobile. The pull of the Gulf ports becomes more and more apparent as the commercial routngs are studied year after year and month after month. Continual adjust ment of rate discrepancies that have been unfavorable to Mobile is bringing this ports influence on export routings prom inently to the fore.
 On the other hand, Mobile lies nearer than any of the Atlantic or South At lantic ports to Havana, Tampico, Vera Cruz, Belize, Panama, and to the ports on the Pacific and in the Far East reached through the Panama Canal. In view of all this multiplex asset of loca- tion, MT. Colwell declares: Nothing can prevent Mobile from taking her place in our national foreign trade de- Ivelopment, except blindness on the part of the shippers of the Mississippi Valley to the natural and economic advantages of Mobile as the leading port on the Gulf of Mexico, or the failure on the part of Mobile to take full advantage of the greatest opportunity Providence ever held out to an American seaport" This lis strong endorsement of Mobiles claims to recognition as a seaport, but it is not at variance with the belief of the people of Mobile and of Alabama. There is qualification that such hearty approval of Alabama's only seaport should come from an impartial nonresident who bases his conclusions, not upon conversations held with port enthusiasts, but upon the facts and figures drawn from his own independent investigations.
 It is only fair to add that MT. Col wells estimate of the ports proper claim on tonnage is supported also by his sur vey of the port terminals and facilities, installed or contemplated. In addition to the railroad and private terminals, the fueling stations both for coal and oil, the transportation connections and the ship-repair plants, MT. Colwell finds that the terminals projected by the state harbor commission twill be, to all in- tents and purposes, operated as common carriers, condition highly satisfactory to all, and big factor in making Mo bile the important seaport she should be-"
 The people of Alabama made wise decision, both for themselves, and for the prestige of the state, when they en- dorsed the seaport amendment. They have given the industries of the state a stimulus and an eminent competitive opportunity. They have tied-in with the government efforts to provide inland waterway service, and to keep the Mo bile channel open to deep water. They have made it possible for Mobile to as- sume her rightful place of service to this wide producing territory, and they have had this important program of equip ing the port placed in hands eminently capable of the task. For all future times, the citizens of this state, and their children's children unto the remote generations of the future, will profit from this wisdom on the part of the peo- pie of Alabama.
 MRS FERCJ7SON FACES CONTEST