Middletown transcript., 1915-10-23
p1DDLErOwN, DEL, OCT. ss, 1915
PAYING THE PIPER

WHICH Will ICouAb " AANAA-
war-and that, too, whether she lose or
gain-certain grave economic conse-
quences are already visible.
To name but few. Before the war
in Europe, Germany had almost mo-
nopoly of carbolic acid, little or none
being made in this country. That wizard
of invention, Edison, soon found one of
his great industries, the manufacture of
monographs, threatened with destruc-
ton because his could not get from
Germany his usual supply of carbolic
acid for making the disks. His works
used rs per cent of all the carbolic acid
imported into the United States.
Edison summoned his experts and
asked them how long it would require
to start the making of that acid, here.
cat least six months, was the answer.
What follows reads like fairy story,
altho it is prosy fact. He shut him
self up for several days, and as his Gus
tom is, worked almost day and night,
to reappear in about three days with
three methods for making carbolic acid;
then he set all of his chemical experts
experimenting to find the best one of
the three. Finally, in few weeks, he
was turning out at his own plant tons
of the acid, and today is able to supply
not only his own enormous needs, but
those of the rest of the country That
valuable trade is thus lost to Germany
Germany in her enormous Stassfurt
deposits Of salt and potash left by the
evaporation of the water of enclosed
seas long ages ago, had world mo
nopoly of potash-no other such suppl!
being anywhere known.
Under the stimulus of necessity
when the German imports were cut of
from our markets, our Government ha
been making tremendous efforts to fin
some other supply of this abso utely in
dispensable chemical.
Great quantities of kelp, or sea weed
are being burned to get potash from tn
ashes, even a submarine mower havin
been invented to cut the sea weed, e'
pecially where it collects in enormou
masses as in the Sargasso Sea.
Now it also turns out that bi
deposit of alunite, or sulphate of pota'
stun, from which potash can be cheapl
obtained, has been discovered in Utal
1t is also found in large quantities
Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and Cal
fornia. Thus when spurred to it oil
country finds it can likewise furnis
this important chemical for its wide us
in farming etc, and Germany theret
loses yet another of her industries, II
greatest of them ALL
Again. Our big manufactures usir
dyes We're entirely dependent upc
Germany for aniline dyes of every d
scription. Altho it was Perkin, an E
glishman, whose discovery in 1854
mauve, made this vast industry of art
fetal aniline dyes possible, German
contrived to get it into her hands to Il
exclusions of both England al
America.
Now, tho, our chemists. are discove
ing that we can make our own anilin
dyes, and in the end still one more
Germany's great industries will
taken from her
In 1912 Germany's exports reacht
the enormous total Of 50, 400, 900, 600
close third to our own country's, En-
lad being second. Since this war almo
that whole trade has been cut off, f,
Germany has not a single ship left {
any ocean!
Her huge South American and We
Indian trade will be wholly lost to HI
for at least two years, if not longe
and will finally much of it be lost fo
ever.
Germany's huge war debt has alreac
imposed a yearly interest burden
nearly 500, 900, 000-a sum which
greater than the total net income of IL
Empire. What viii she do a year {
two later when the annual interest c
her greatly increased war debt wi
amount to over a billion of money
sum greater than our whole nation
debt altho our national wealth is sever
times greater than that of Germany
Germany is ruined. The flower {
her youth slain or manned by million
her trade and commerce damaged b.
yond repair, and colossal debt saddle
upon her people. Generations will n,
repair the awful loss.
Finally, Germany by her fearful