Evening star., 1914-10-25
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

est developed in the world. are park
ike, and while they offer many ad-
Vantases in numbering operations, they
would not give the same concealment
TO war moves as the French forests.
Army officials point out that it would
De a wild surmise to state that this
difference of the forests of the two
countries Is due to a preconceived plan
based on possible warfare. Forestry
experts in this country say that the
variation may be due altogether to the
TWO KINDS of silvicultural methods
practiced by the belligerent countries.
In France the method is to secure
natural reproduction from the old trees
IN Germany the forests have been
largely planted by hand. with more or
less regularity, and there has been in
tenslve cultivation and pruning.
In artificial planting which the United
States may do in years to come in
connection with military plans it Is
belleved that attempts with the work
will be confined solely to the produc-
ton of an artificial growth which will
resemble as closely as possible nat
ural forest. In the screening batteries
trees of different kinds will be planted
irregularly, as in natural forest
growth, both back and in front of bat
teries, in order to conceal the various
types of big guns. Height of the arti-
fetal growth will vary according to the
type of guns which the trees are sup
posed to conceal
The present war has demonstrated
that forests are Valua BILE to serve as
traps for the enemy. This was shown
during the early weeks of the conflict,
when, during movements in eastern
Prussia. the Germans trapped large
body of Russians who were trying 10
pass through a growth of timber
The effect of the war on the forests
of Europe is, of course, destructive.
Trees have been cut without reference
to future needs, in order to help form
fortifications and protective works OF
various sorts, to build bridges, to make
corduroy roads through boggy coun-
try and to furnish fuel for the biv-
ouacs and camp cookery. Even the
rifle and artillery fire has resulted in
tree destruction.
Many trees have undoubtedly been
felled by shells. That they could be so
felled by rifle fire is almost inconceiv-
able, though it is claimed that trees
were SO cut off by bullets from mus
kerry in the battle of the Wilderness In
the civil war. Already military experts
have compared some of the fighting IN
eastern France with that at the Will
derness and about Chancellorsville.
An amusing feature of the situation
confronting the users of foreign chem
ical pro u S
Substitutes for which have ad-
-, vanced in price
ooua oeA@oo1e' by leaps an
bounds since the beginning of the Eu-
ropean war. is the number of letters
received by the bureau of chemistry
seeking advice on the kind or kinds
of artificial food preservative which
may be used in the place of benzoate
of soda. Although limited quantities
of this preservative may be used, if
stamped upon the label, the govern
ment's investigation has caused so
much controversy that most food man.
ufacturers were thought to have aban-
doned it's use by this time
That many manufacturers still use
benZoate as an artificial preservative
of food is Indicated by the number who
have asked the advice of the govern
ments chemical experts for possible
substitutes The government is not
encouraging the use of this chem
lcal or any other artificial preservative
which has met the opposition of sc
! many pure food experts, and Chief
Chemist Carl L.. Alsberg answers all
the persons requesting suggestions on
possible substitutes to the effect that
the government is not in the business
of telling manufacturers what kind
of artificial preservatives they should
use. DIR. Alsberg believes that by the
proper preparation of food most prod
ucts may be preserved without the use
of any artificial means.
The fight against benZoate of soda
was one of the stirring incidents of
DIR. Harvey Wiley's administration of
the bureau of chemistry. DR.. Wiley
was opposed by the Remsen board in
his stand against benzoate, but the
trend of public opinion was against
the use of the chemical and largely
for this reason practical manufac-
turers of the better class of food prod
ucts have dropped the use of this arti-
f1cial preservative. Leading chemists
of the country still differ on whether
Or not limited quantities of benZoate
of soda are injurious to the health
and most manufacturers believe that
where there is a question of this kind
between experts in order to hold
their business it is best to give the
public the benefit of the doubt. Know :
ing of this feeling experts in the
United States bureau of chemistry
were somewhat surprised to learn that
a number of manufacturers are still
clinging to the use of benzoate. which
has advanced in price, and for which
substitutes are now sought. Most of
imported from Germany as one of the
chemicals made from "toluene' or
"toluol,'' one of the coal tar products.
One of the effects of volcano eruption
which has Il peculiar economic signif-
icance at this time
Pumice Destroys is the destruction of
~ .,. fields of giant kelp
NIP 4eA 'AAiAeA' or seaweed of the
Pacific coast by the pumice dust COM
ing from the katmai volcano OF south
western Alaska. The giant kelp is the
seaweed from which scientists believe
a large domestic supply of potash can
be produced to meet the fertilizer needs
of the farms of the United States. and
a report of the destruction of TINS sea-
weed by the Alaska volcano has at
tracted considerable attention for TINS
reason.
According to investigators of the
United States Department of Asricui-
ture, it is fortunate that the volcano
is located on the Alaskan coast, ana not
in one of the Pacific coast states.
Alaska seaweed which has been de-
stroyed by the pumice from the volcano
covers large fields, but, of course, does
not extend as far south as the state OF
Washington. The kelp in the waters
of the Puget sound region and Off the
coast of California is a heavier growth
than that of the Alaska waters, and, eX-