| OCR Text |
Show LOOK FOR COTTON SURPRISE Millions of Soldiers In Europe Will Have to Be Supplied With Clothing Cloth-ing When Weather Changes. "The situation In the cotton 'business 'busi-ness Is about what I have steadily predicted," said a former cotton man to a Birmingham Age-Herald repre-eentative repre-eentative the other day, "and from now on we may look for something surprising to many Interested In the ataple. "1 believe cotton will sell for 12 cents In July and 15 cents in August. 1 bRse my predictions upon the following fol-lowing fncts: The normal demand for splnnable cotton over the entire world before the present war began was ap-proxi ap-proxi matcly 15,500,000 bales, everything every-thing running. The mills consumed for two years previous to September 1, 1914. 31.000.000 bales and also large 'carrying over' from previous years. Not for a decade or two had the demand de-mand for cotton come as near absorbing ab-sorbing tho Crop offering as in the two years namrd t9i:MD!4 These crops were marki-ted et an average price for both crops or 12 20 cents for middling Today there are more cot-Ion cot-Ion spindles either running or awaiting await-ing cotton than ever berore Those making army cloths are pressed to the limit in this country nnd in Europe, Ttussia and .Irnan tt-hen the wnrm weather sets In millions of soldiers will have to lie supplied with cotton clothing: every two weeks, 'tis said, there must be a new outfit for those m on the firing line; winter clothing will have to be discarded. Hospital demands for 'bed linen,- bandages and clothing will steadily Increase. "The manufacture of explosives will consume near 2.000,000 bales; some of this will be llnters, but a good part of the 700.000 bales of llnters is going go-ing Into upholstery and mattress making: mak-ing: much of It Into absorbent cotton, cot-ton, so that 1.500.000 bales will be used for explosives nnd if the war continues during summer, even more. "The New York cotton exchange regulations by federal enactment will hpgln to be felt more and more In a restrictive sense as to reckless short selling' as the remainder of the crop conies in. nnd as there develops nn ownership by those determined to get a better price: cotton gamblers will hesitate to make heavy commitments commit-ments for the summer months, with a steady advancing market, and a strongly strong-ly controlled and diminishing supply. I believe that late planting and fair seasons will yield a 13,500,000-bale croo at least " |
