THE COTTON PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2539, 13 August 1915, Page 5

THE COTTON PROBLEM

INSISTENT DEMAND FOR STRICT CONTRABAND PUPLIC MEETING IN LONDON By Telcgrapli—l'a'css Association—Copyrlglit (Rec. August 12, 8.50 p.m.) London, August 12. Sir Charles Macara (Chairman of tho Manchester Master Cotton Spinners' Association) presided at a meeting in the Queen's Hall, convened for the purpose of urging that cotton should be declared contraband. Sir Charles Macara said there, was no doubt that cotton was largely used in tbo manufacture of explosives, and he i'clt sure that tho Government had given anxious consideration to t'his complicated problem. "We must utilise our command of tho sea to prevent cotton reaching the enemy countries," ho said. "It is absolutely necessary to tako strong measures, while acting fairly to neutrals." Ho had long advocated that in order to ensuro an adequate supply )'or the lean years, there might bo arranged an Anglo-American purchaso of,cotton ordinarily going to Germany. Sir William Ramsay said that cotton was tho only substance the Germans could not supply for munitions. . No chemical products _ could rcplaco raw cotton. Ammunition from used cotton was more ineffective than from the unused product. If wo stopped the cotton supply for tho enemy wo stopped the war. Cotton was reaching Germany by various sources. Sweden imported twenty-fivefold tho amount required for her own needs; almost every neutral country imported supplies out of all proportion to its needs. We were contributing indirectly to the defeat of the Russians, and it was grossly unfair to our Allies and ourselves. Lord Charles Bcrcsford wroto deploring the fatal wait-and-see _ policy. "What is the good of a coalition Government if it procrastinated like its predecessor ? What is tho good of the mastery of tho sea if wo failed to reap its advantages ? Tlio meeting passed a resolution urging tho Government in tlhe interests of the Empire and the Allies to immediately declare cotton contraband, ensuring the protection of the interests of neutral growers and consumers.