The Montgomery advertiser. [volume], September 12, 1917, Page FOUR, Image 4

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ijhnducted from 1865 to 1818, Forty-sight
| / years under the Edltorshlpof
SsS\i WILLIAM WALLACE SCREWS.
Msfr. T. SHEEHAN .. Witor.
jSfetCIHA8. H. ALLEN . Publisher.
'u, Entered at Montgomery Postdfflee ae second
Men matter under Act of Conarees of March
,».• 1879,V__
Members of Associated Press and American
Newspaper Publishers* Association^__
* COMPLETE REPORT OF
? THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
VDAIL.Y and SUNDAY (By Carrier or Mail.)
Ftp Annum ....$7.80 One Month ...*•
Six Months .... 3.90 One Week.
Three Months .. 1.95 Single Copies • • •?»
Sunday Edition alone, per year .
All communications should be addressed
and all money orders, checks, etc., made pay
able to THE ADVERTISER COMPANY. Mont
5ornery. Ala. _ . .._
.ELLY-SMITH CO.—Foreign Representative
Lytton Bldg.. Chicago; 220 5th Ave.. N. Y.
City.
The Advertiser Telephone No.
Private Branch Kxehanxe Conaectlax All
Departasenta.
1.18,910
1.18,897
1.18,864
4.18,880
•.82,833
. «.19,227
; 7.19.149
i i.19,105
.19,105
30.19,283
11.19,308
18.23,151
18.19,823
14.19.412
1<.19.382
AUGUST. 1017.
16 .k_19,418
17 . 19,544
18 .19.515
19 .23,260
SO.19,530
21 . 19,569
22 .19.581
23 .19.563
24 .19,541
25 .19.545
26 .23.410
27 .19,564
28 .19,606
29 .19.587
SO.19.577
21.19.344
Total . 614.661
Less Returns .. -. Hill
Wet Total . 891,r90
Daily Average, August, 1917 ... 18,752
Sunday Average, August, 1917 . 21,483
. J. X* Boeshana Circulation Manager of The
Montgomery Advertiser, oeinx duly sworn.
^*Th'e foregoing statement of The Adver
tiser's circulation for the Month of August.
1917, is true and correct and compiled after
returns and spoiled copies have been de
dUCtftde '
THE ADVERTISER CO..
J. L. BOESHANA
■t Circulation Manager.
Sworn to and subscribed before me thla,
the trd day of September. 1917.
lit (SEAL.) WM. F. LEE.
IfotaryPubllej^MontgomerijijCpuntyj^labama
KORNILOFF MARCHES ON
PETROQRAD.
rvr.-^V
Uf
■k,<T(V Umali resounds to ths tramp of her own
'*’* armed soi)s marching to take Petrograd.
General Kornlloff, having demanded and hav
i In* boon refused the oupremo military com
mand. Is marching an army—how large It Is,
i'4'. nobody knows—to take Petrograd and to
turn the government over to the Russian
■ conservatives.
s'-v ' This, of course, means civil war In lntoxl
I'.'ti oated, distracted Russia. Will Kornlloff be
i '-f able to take Petrograd and set up a new
fa government? The London Dally Mall says
V ;; aptly: "Kornlloff would not have put the
pistol of hts demand for dictatorial power
l&t at the head of the provisional government.
If he did not have the power to pull the
? * trigger.** The Russian official telegrams re
fleet the alarm and concern of the pro
s''.''4' visional government. These messages dwell
spon the loyalty of the Baltlo fleet, but the
# Baltlo fleet has been In charge of the Soclal
tstto laborltes and enlisted men since the
,> beginning of the war. And, Rusla’s civil
war will be settled on land, not on sea.
' If Kornlloff has the Russian army behind
! t him, and be seems to have the better part
| of It, Petrograd cannot stand against him.
/ With Petrograd taken, the wild and lrrespon -
I slble government, which promised so much
(. ’ and delivered only misfortune, will be kt an
i > sad. Granted that Petrograd can be taken
by Kornlloff, supported and sustained by the
Duma members, the conservatives and the
bourgeois, what will be the next step In
Russia’s tragic history? Will there be a
i restoration of the monarchy in some form,
i or a military dictatorship? While the Soclal
i 1st leaders In Petrograd have been genuinely
ri alarmed by the growth of monarehlstlc senti
ment, It Is more reasonable to expect a mili
tary dictatorship to succeed the present state
X of anarchy, than to look for tho setting up
Ot a new or a restored monarcny.
, All this, however, “Is upon tne knee# of
\ the gods.” We only know that General Kor
1 nlloff, with a large army, la at Dno, only a
V Hundred and twenty mllee from Petrograd,
where he teems to be organizing hie forcee
tor the final march on the detracted capl
J tal. Hie cavalry le said to be within thirty
slx mllee of Petrograd; hie Cossacks have
threatened to cut the railroad and Isolate
Petrograd from all the supplies of the coun
try. In Petrograd the populace Is running
about to find ways for leaving the apparent
ly doomed city, while the members of the
provisional government In fear and trembling
cast about for' some governmental mako
i Shirt which will ride the coming storm.
The Russian drama la of absorbing Inter
est. From one act to another, from one
> period of disorder and anarchy to another.
It moves steadily to a climax. The Czar Is
^ .out; the old order ‘is overturned. Kerensky
strove to play the strong man’s part and he
tised brave words, but the anarchists com
* mlttee In Petrograd had him on a tether,
and It pulled'him back when he tried to go
tee far. He sought to prove to the outer
world that he was the dictator, and that he
■■ blood for order, safety and discipline. But
the real government was a reincarnation of
,.^'*be old Jacobin Club of Paris—a committee
■Ot Irresponsible and violent anarchists, which
uld put up and take down governments
tyrhen It felt so disposed.
*. But this was Petrograd. Out In the In
%erlor of Russia, with Its center Iri Moscow,
there was a different sentiment—a conviction
A fthat anarchy had had Its little day, and that
the time had rolled around for construction
$or conservatism and for obedience.
v| KomllofT marches on Petrograd. What
-Will there be In the next act of the Russian
'‘‘ram*?
As we had confidently expected for a long
jplme. Colonel Roosevelt rushes upon the birth
ieontrol propagandists, kicking shins, smash- .
ijng eyes and punching stomachs, shouting
. jfche while, "Lay on, McDufTI" etc. The
bjslonel avers that while It Is desirable, if
practicable, to limit the issue of untR per
sona. the most Important thing yet la to in
crease the Issue of the fit—and the records
■how that It Is the f.ormer who are holding
fjmp the birth rate, while the fit are not re
producing In as high a proportion as they
IfUUB formerly
x<
THE PRESIDENT’S WAT.
It was Emerson, we believe, who said:
"All great thoughts We forged In solitude.”
'There Is undoubtedly a responsible con
nection between 'the etudlous isolation of
President Wilson and the powerful and mas
terly communication which he Issues now
and then to an attentive and admiring world..
The Advertiser a day or two ago published
part of a rarely Interesting special article
on the Isolated life jiow led by President
Wilson In the White House. To then familiar
with life at Washington the article reveals
nothing new and yet It arouses a new In
terest In the mode of life of the President of
the United States. No President, not even
Washington, has lived so aloof from huipanlty
at large as has President Wilson. The aloof
ness of Washington was associated, too, with
a certain form and ceremony at the White
House, which distinguished Washington as
he really was; an aristocrat who preferred
to choose hla own associates and his own
mode of life.
There Is nothing of the aristocrat about
President Wilson; he does not even quallf>
as an Intellectual aristocrat. He is bur
dened with such tasks as no other Presi
dent, perhaps not even Lincoln, had to bear.
From early manhood the President has taken
hts responsibilities seriously. He realizes
now In his lofty position that upon him more
than upon any other man In the world, per-,
haps, depends the success of the allies against
ths Germans. This Is a broad statement, but
not too broad when we consider the war
situation as It exists. Without America and
without the full power of America, the allies
cannot win a complete and crushing victory
over Germany. With America in the field
with her full strength they wlll-w!n a com
plete and decisive victory over Prussian
militarism. The President Is the one man
who can lead the loosely organized American
people Into this war at the zenith of their
power.
He spare* now but little of hi* time for
•oclal enjoyment and he has cut himself
aloose from the curiosity seekers and the
public appearance* of which several of our
Presidents were quite fond. His theatre of
aotlon Is his study. There he takes his time
and threshes sach of the problems whloh
come to him through his private secretary.
His action, when taken, Is neither hasty nor
spectacular.
His public utterances are by far the ablest
made by any statesman since the war be
gun. These declarations, sometimes a mes
sage to Congress, at rare Intervals a speech
on some publlo oocaslon, and diplomatic notes,
are not numerous, but they are land marks
of the war—history-making land marks
standing out In world Interest even above the
battles of Europe. They are thought-com
pelling utterances by a clear and convincing
statesman. The statesmen of the allied na
tions have all stood aside and brought the
President of the United States forward to be
their spokesman. Before he trusts himself
to speak In behalf of the united Democracy
now fighting for Its life he prepares himself
with study In uninterrupted solitude. The
President may have a social life about which
the world knows nothing. There are doubt
less some few friends who drop In so that In
social conversation and relaxation he may
for a while forget his sense of obligation and
responsibilities. These occasions are neces
sarily limited. He Is, howrever, and wisely
so, Insistent that he shall have physical and
nervous relaxation. No matter how great
the burden might be, the horseback ride, the
golf and the motor trip must form a part of
the day’s program. The American people
would have him give all the time possible
to this mental and physical relaxation, for
the greatest misfortune that could happen to
the American nation at this crisis would be
the physical collapse of Woodrow Wilson.
So in studious solitude he works out his
own answers to the problems which con
front him. Aloof from the shallow, yet per
haps entertaining social life, he goes Into
the question Interwoven with the welfare and
perpetuity of American Institutions and yet
this President who lives so much In solitude,
so much aloof from the average run and lives
of the American people. Is a man who six
years ago Insisted that each Governor and
each President should .follow the open door
policy. He held that the door of his private
office should be open all the time and that
visitors of every class should have easy ac
cess to him. But conditions change and men
change with them.
WATSON AND THE PRESIDENT.
Since The Dothan Eagle has Rone over to
Tom Watson it is serving the Georgian faith
fully. and dutifully defending him against
all thrusts. Taking note of the charge that
Watson reversed himself on the question of
compulsory enlistments and the policy of
sending American forces to France, The
Eagle remarks:
President Wilson said In four speeches
delivered In January. 1916, that "our en
tire militia. State and Federal, Is exempt
from service outside of the territorial !
limits of the United States. " Yet one
Is cussed for changing his mind, the 1
other Is not
And bo the President did say the forego
lng, and he was quite correct in his Interpre
tatlon of the then existing laws governing
our militia forces. The fact that these forces
weVe exempt from service beyond our bor
ders is the very fact which impelled the
President and others to urge that the Na
tional Guard be Federalized so that this
branch of the service might be made avail
able for employment wherever the interests
of the country might demand that these
forces be sent. Else, why amend the Na
tional Guard act at all? The President’s
words, as quoted by The Eagle, are not argu
mentative, but mere declarations of fact, a
statement of a case then existing—a condi
tion which the President deemed necesiary
to correct If the country should be properly
defended and protected.
But In any case, there Is still a consider
able difference In the respective positions of
the President and Mr. Watson. The Presi
dent Is not violating the laws of the land.
He is not resisting the draft act. He Is not
giving “aid and comfort” to the enemy. He
Is not endeavoring to weaken the arm of
the government In this struggle for the
safety arid peace of America, this struggle
to avenge the murder of American women
and children, the destruction of American
property. - Be bee declined to heed the ordera
of the Kalaer to clear the high sea*' of our
ahlpa and eltlsena He haa declined to allnk
away under the ferodoua frown of the blus
tering autocrat of Berlin.
When war la declared and the country la In
danger, debate upon the rlghteouaneaa of our
cauae and halr-apllttlng argument about
whether we ahould fight with one hand or
both, la not In order.
President Wiloen repreaenta the law and
order, the decency and patrlottam of the
country. The Watsons, the Hardwicks, the
Qronnaa, the Vardanians and the LaFollettes,
insofar as their attitude toward America and
the war Is concerned, do not represent these
essential virtues. They are the stumbling
blocks, the carpers, the slackers, entitled to
qo sympathy from an enlightened America.
ONE POST-BELLUM DUTY.
Lately there has been no little academic,
but nonetheless Interesting, speculation upou
what we should do to prepare our people
against reaction from the war which must
follow peace. "After the war, what?" Is the
favorite caption over these speculative
articles.
There are many duties which we ahall be
compelled to perform after the war. There
are many that will press us, but will not
come under the category of compulsory
duties. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat
touches upon one of the more vital after-the
war policies which we must begin to. think
about. We quote from that paper:
There is one solemn duty the people of
the United States cannot escape, when
peace comes. We must Introduce the de
lights of corn bread and other forms of
corn as food to the Europeans. ' It is a
mission we have too long neglected. The
two distinctive American products Sir
Walter Raleigh discovered were tobacco
and Indian corn. By easy atages Lady
Nicotine has completed her conquest of
Europe, but the benighted inhabitants
know nothing of corn. They even re
fuse It the right ’to- bear its name. In
England wheat is called corn, while the
term is applied to oats In Ireland and
Scotland. They do not even know about
roasting eara A story comes out of
New York about an Englishwoman, resi
dent there for some time, having been
presented a few roasting ears by a friend,
with brief directions as to cooking. She
boiled them for hours and hours, fre
quently testing them 1 with a fork. She
was filled with despair until some na
tive Informed her that the cob was not
wi caiu
eugar, as she had supposed.
Every truly enlightened American knows
the virtues of cornbread and few Americans
can understand why It Is that Europe, older
than we are. did not long since familiarize
itself with the various uses ttf which corn
may be put with profit and pleasure to the
grower and consumer—especially since corn,
as such. Is no stranger to Europe.
Alabama, a great corn State, Joins heartily
with Missouri, another great corn State, In
urging that we should no longer neglect our
opportunities to do missionary work for corn
among the Europeans. Corncob pipes, no
less than corn pones, egg bread and corn
cakes, must be Introduced to the average
European. He must be made to believe that
life Is more precious with these things about.
Mr. Hearst wants a popular referendum in
the warring countries on the question of
peace, saying among other things: “Nobody
In America wants a craven peace or a dis
honorable peace or an Insecure peace."
Whoever In America sponsors any peace
movement which does not contemplate a vic
tory over Germany, wants the kind of peaca
which Mr. Hearst protests that Is not wanted.
The Hearst peace propaganda Is craven.
Dudley Field Malone wants the Federal
suffrage amendment adopted as a “war meas
ure." Everything that Is desired these <}ays
is urged as a “war measure."
It Is saitT that Mayor Bill Thompson of
Chicago demands' damages of Chicago papers
In a sum totaling $1,600,000. Isn't Chicago
entitled to a sum equal, say, to the Mayor's
salary In consideration of the damage 1^.
has wrought to the name of his own home
town?
American bankers are figuring on lending
Mexico $150,000,000. It will take some su^h
figure as that to pull Mexico out of the hole.
The Russian bear could have been a man.
but preferred to Impersonate the rabbit.
Speaking of the Russian situation, some
thing ought to be done about It.
I Letters to Editor |
V - '
THE MOON’g INFUIBNCE I'PON THE
SEASONS.
Prattville, Ala., Sept. 10, 1917.
Editor The Advertiser:
It “growed” up In me that the moon has i
something to do with the weather. At col
lege we were taught better. Since bo many
people believe It has some Influence I think
It possible.
The old folks Insisted every morning we
build a fire In summer, contending It drove
out malaria. Their observation had taught
them they were healthier In a malarial dis
trict when they kept a fire every morning.
We were taught better. Science taught us
to screen and that was all that was neces
sary. After we got the doors, windows and
porcheB screened we had mosquitoes still. It
dawned on us one day to screen the fireplace,
which we did at once. No mosquito gets In
our house now.
We were surprised at the number of mos
quitoes that were In the chimneys. So the
fires did help in smoking the malaria out
of the chimneys. Just so the moon.mgy have
some unexpected sway ovei* the air. It has
a small attractive Influence over the ocean
waves. It may have still more sway over the
air waves. The air Is far more mobile than
the water and It certainly moves the air
some. Just as the water rises under the at
tractive Influence of the moon the air rises
under the moon. When the moon goeg north
the air goes north. When the moon goes
south the air goes Bouth. * While this In
fluence Is very slight. It has a motion like a
swinging churn. It does not take much force
to swing a heavy churn.
Just as the tides rise higher at new moon
and full moon under the combined attractive
Influence of sun and moon the air tides rise
higher at full and new moon. In other words
the atmosphere of the earth rises to a greater
height on the side of the earth next to the
new moon and when the new moon Is to the
north, we living in the northern hemisphere
are under a deeper strata of atmosphere.
Hence we get more atmospheric pressure.
When the new moon or full moon la In the
north I look for rain. This being September
S . .
By Way of Sweden!
Sink fhem ^Vifhoul leaving any traces *
and the aun having carried the rain belt
south of us I do not look for heavy rains
like I did in August or July. Still we look
for some rain as the full moon turns south
from Its northernmost point.
My bed Is near the east window. When the
full moon Is to the north It shines in my
face at night unless I sleep with my head
at the foot of my bed. Whenever the full
moon shines In my face at night and I have
to change ends I have watched for two years
that soon we get rain. I have read the sun
spot theory, which I do not discount. I have
read the eun heat theory, which Is no doubt
the great factor In making rain. And If I
believe In moonshine making rain 1 know you
call me moony. Still, a lot of folks will be
lieve the moon has some contributing In
fluence on the weather, and I am of that
number.
The moon's position can be calculated for
the past as well as for the future. Let the
scientists check up on what I have said and
they will see by the government's statistics
as to the days when the rain fell in this terri
tory that I am very nearly right.
W. A. WADSWORTH.
ON INCORPORATING CHISHOLM.
Editor The Advertiser:
If they Incorporate Chisholm, why not call
It Sheridan City? The papers are filled with
notes about Camp Sheridan; but the llttlo
city that was there before the soldiers came,
is quite overlooked. For the time being It Is
swallowed up by the soldiers and the crowds
of visitors from all sections that pour in.
The Lower Wetumpka Road, which plows
straight through it, Is so thronged by autos
and teams that people afoot take their lives
in their hands as they dodge from side to
side In the road amid the fast flying ma
chines. The school Is soon to open and fond
parents are anxious about the safety of their
children.
The County Revenue Board has generously
agreed to build a sidewalk from the Seaboard
to the Western crossing. If the citizens will
donate the necessary land for the purpose.
So far as can be gathered, the citizens are
all willing, but there Is nobody to take the
mdtter up and push It to a conclusion. Prob
ably the busiest town In Alabama is Sheridan
City. All the citizens are laboring people,
many of them railroad employes. From early
dawn until dewy eve, they are at work.
Every man and boy and team Is busy. The
women are working themselves down to cook
for the multitude of laborers gathered there
I am sorry to say, Sunday is no longer a
day of rest and worship, but of Intense toll
with many. Some argue If the town was In
corporated it would be somebody's business
to look after, the sidewalk question. The
government has Issued orders about speeding
'.n the camp, but the town is left to the mercy
of the reckless drivers.
Not much has been said about it, but th«*
little Baptist Church Is crowded every Sun
day night with soldiers and quite frequently
some of them are baptized by the pastor.
Mayor Robertson and Mr. Reynolds of th«
government service. Intervened to allow the
church to be the first to tap the water main,
so that Its beautiful baptistry, the gift of a
generous Montgomery woman, can be readily
filled when needed.
The coming of the water and the double
tracking of the Traction Company, means
much to the citizens of Sheridan City. This
with the health regulations, put in by the
government, will ere long make this one of
the most desirable suburbs of Montgomery.
W. B. CRUMPTON.
-
THE “WATSONIAN TYPE.”
Alabama Christian Advocate.
"The Roman Catholics In America have
certainly ‘put It over on' Tom Watson. He
has had much to say about their being sub
ject to a foreigner and consequently unable
to be loyal to their own country; he has
harped on their being ‘non-American’ until
It la an old song. But In this hour of Amer
ica's need Tom Watson Is 'doing his bit’ to
embarrass and cripple the administration,
while the Roman Catholics claim that forty
per cent of the men In the army and navy
are members of their church. In addition,
the Knights of Columbus are raising a fund
of 13,000,000 to d6 for their young men in
uniform what the Y. M. C. A. Is doing for
the Protestant soldiers. We are not a Ro
manist and are not contemplating uniting
with that body, but when It comes to 'loyal
ty' we must say we prefer tin Catholic to the
' 'WatsonlaS* "
Hi*. ,,, '■ 11 -A ' j.i'i
The Diversified Farmer
»-■
The yarn la good fighting food.
We know a fellow who calls his wife
“Honey." Tet she's no bee for working.
Taasa Foe The Aw.
The army Is asking for bfds on Southern
sweet potatoes—not canned—but fresh and
In sacka
The array has discovered the yam,. that
Juicy, really sweet, sweet poitato that we have
used for so long without trying to Introduce
It to other folka
Now we suggest that In making offers of
sweet potatoes for army use the best* potatoes
possible be offered at the fair price, sacked
as the army wants them. The army will pay
cash and It aspects the farmer to make a
good profit, a profit that wlU encourage him
to keep on producing. But In order to get
the yams going right in the army It Is up to
the farmers to market quality at a fair price.
A vastly Increased market for our sweet
potatoes Is now In the hands of the farmers.
The right sort of marketing at this time will
establish a future market for our sweet
potatoes that will be worth millions to
Southern growers and buyers.
In marketing don’t try "to slip anything
over on the army" for that is "slipping It
over on the country”—a most unpatriotic
thing to do. Deal fair with the -rmy quar
termasters, even to the smallest detail, and
the army will buy our stuff and keep on buy
ing It at fair prices. The opportunity Is
ours to use for our own good, the good of the
army and the welfare of the country.
How Aboot Shoes?
One of the biggest shoe houses In the
country has sent out a letter to its salesmen
that contains this paragraph:
“During the year starting January SO, 1916,
we exported 1,339,193,000 pounds of meat
compared with the three-year ante-bellum
average of 493,848,000 pounds a year. This
enormous increase In the export of meat < >
went to our Allies, apd their stock of animals
has decreased 33,000,000 head. The problem
facing America Is not only one of supplying
the meat demands of the Allies but one which
Is far more reaching In its significance—the
constant lessening of the stock of the world’s
food animals."
The above paragrapR from the letter Is for
salesmen to use in their territory In showing
the people that there will be no cheaper
shoes. Cheaper shoes this year, next year, or
the year after that seem to be an Impossi
bility unless shoes are made out of something
else besides leather.
In England manufacturers are permitted to
make shoes only a certain height. In this
country synthetic soles are already gaining
headway and they outwear leather. Radical
changes In the manufacture of shoes seem al
most a certainty. Only the most radical
changes will keep the price of shoes In the
future down to where a great many folks can
buy them. Over In Georgia, and In some
parts of Alabama, folks In the country have
gone back to Nature’s method of not wear
ing shoes and having corns.
The Volunteer System.
The volunteer system doesn't seem to work
any better in saving loods than In raising an
army.
Only the minority of folka ever volunteer
to do the right thing. In all the foreign
countries there are food regulations govern
ing the consumption of food in the homes.
In the hotels and in the restaurants. Here,
after all has been done and said, most folks
are eating along In about the same old way
_least those who can afford to do so are
doing so. Precious few have two wheattess
days a week and precious few are following
the program of meat only once a day.
. If the war continues for any length of
time we will have to have food-consumption !
regulations Just as our allies have. And the
sooner these regulations come the better It
will be. Under them food will really be
saved and ’’saving” food will not be largely
a bluff as It la now. Most people who can
afford to do so, eat too much anyway,
especially meats. And most folks waste too
much. You would think that high prices
would force town folks to make drastic cut
downs In food, but apparently not. Of
course, food regulations would not effect the
man who raises his own stuff for his own
table. The result of these regulations In
i England and Canada has been the forcing of
more folks to raise what they eat. These
tame regulations would doubtless hay* the
same beneficial effect in this country.
We would not be surprised to see In the
not distant future food regulations that
would force us either to reduce consumption
nr Increase production.
With all the strain and the struggle and
the effort, there are still girls who let their
mothers do the work.
A fellow asked us the other day why we
Jldn’t get married. We asked him: “Why.
should we.T" fHe couldn’t answer as he was
a married, man himself.
One man who has a lot of poor relations
as “dependents” asks to be drafted quick.
Folks talk of “having dependents." Their
main “dependent” Is their country.
It’s hard to believe that another winter is
sure coming. —L. m.
SOUTH IMPORTANT IN MUNITIONS
MAKING.
Nashville Tennessean.
There are few who know the exact Impor
tance of the South in the making of muni,
tlons. Few know that but two plants—one in
Texas and one in Louisiana—are the ones that
make possible the preparation for the present
war. This Is nonetheless true. These are
sulphur plants. In regard to their Impor
tance The Manufacturers’ Record says:
Notwithstanding the fact that the two'
largest sulphur-producing plants In the
United States, one In Louisiana and one
In Texas, are being pressed to their utmost
capacity, the demand for sulphur so far ex
ceeds the supply that the government has
recently put an embargo on the shipment
of sulphur to’ paper mills in Canada
These two plants are producing over 1.
000,000 tons a year, or more than 00 per ,
cent of the entire output of the United *
States.
If the capitalists ,who risked their
money In these enterprises had not been
far-seeing enough to do so, the nation
would today be absolutely without anv
sulphur, since we can no longer depend
upon Italy as we did years ago. Prior
to the success of the Union Sulphur Co.
of Louisiana three or four companies had
made complete financial failures in their
effort to reach the sulphur and mine It at
a profit, as It is covered with an over
burden of several hundred feet of quick
sand. The directors of the present com
pany some years ago were about to aban
don the undertaking and a meeting had
beep called to wind up the affairs and
give up the enterprise, but Abram B,
Hewett, one of the dlrectprs, urged tlsl
one more effort be made, that money ho
advanced to the company by the directors
and stockholders, and that the Frasch
system be tested. Daring to risk still
more money, the company finally suc
ceeded and has made a marvelous fi
nancial record and has given to the na
tion a supply of sulphur which up to a
few years ago was equal to the needs of
the times.
Later on. Mr. Vanderllp, president of
the National City Bank of New Fork; the
Swensons, strong bankers of Texas and
New Fork, and other capitalists under
took a somewhat similar venture after
several years of experimental work at
diamond drilling In Texas and that copt
pany has also proved a great financier
success and Is now producing, we believe.
In the neighborhood of 500,000 or (00,000
tons of sulphur a year, without which
there would be a famine in the sulphur
market.
Men who dare to risk their money In
what for years have to be seml-specula
tlve enterprises are the men who create
industries which In times of emergency
keep the nation from ruin.
It Is an Interesting fact that the whole
power of the country to produce muni
tions. without which we would be help
less, depends .absolutely upon these two
sulphur plants In the South, yielding 18
per cent of the sulphur supply of the
country.
The sulphur business in the South has beea
one of Its great industries, but those who In
vested their money In It -took desperate
chances. They should be permitted now t»
reap the results of their risk