Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-03
AMERICANS WANT
ENGLAND To LET
I. THEM GET DYES
Threatened Failure of German
Supply Creates Critical Con-
dition in Textile Industry in
This Country.

NAss0ciated frcss Correspondence
London. March l5.--Ilreprese
tives of the American textile Industry
are now in London for the purpose of
bringing to the attention OF the Brit
ish government what Is said to be a
critical condition growing out Of the
threatened failure of the dye supply
from Germany Pressure is being
brought to bear to keep the trade
routes open for dye shipments from
German ports.
It Is estimated roughly that an an
nual output of five hundred million
dollars worth of silk, wooden and cot
ton goods manufactured In the Unit
ed States can reach its finished state
only through the use of dyes made in
Germany. OF these essential dyes
there are now ON hand only thirty
days supply. according to information
furnished by the textile representa-
tlves. Three ships are at this writing
in German ports loaded with dyes
consigned to America valued at S6,-
100000, sufficient to supply the
American mills until August.
War CAUSES Surprise.
The war has disclosed condition
with respect to the American textile
interest and its dependence upon Ger
many for dye, which, while well
known to experts. will cause surprise
i'm lay circles. At ante-bellum prices
the actual value Of dyes imported am
nually from Germany was about ten
million dollars, or only about two per
cent Of the total value of the product
to the finishing and marketing Of
which these dyes are absolutely in
dspensible. That such condition
was permitted to continue arose from
the fact that the processes of dye
manufacture. while not precisely Sc
cret are highly skilled and may be
acquired and applied commercially
only by long and painstaklng expert
mentation.
There are said to be no fewer than
twelve hundred chemists holding di-
plomas from the great German uni
versities, employed in the industry Of
dye-makng in Germany. 1t Is this
highly trained organization controlled
by a few big concerns winch gives to
Germany such power over tse worlds
textile interests AT the outbreak of
the war il is said that a German
owned. and managed dye factory To-
Gated in England was taken over by
the British government but the new
management has not yet been able TO
turn out a single pound of proper
German dye.
While progress in the United States
has been slow in establishing the
manufacture of colored dyes, in the
one item OF black dye America may
be said to be independent and If the
German supply should be shut off en-
tirely. America will literally be
thrown into mourning. Variants Of
natural white, and black in stripes
and Checks will tend to break the
funereal monotony.
To stimulate American Production.
Whatever may come of the effort
now making to maintain the flow OF
German dye TO America, the present
threatening situation is sure to give
a tremendous stimulus to dye produc-
ton in the United States. American
spirit and energy will hardly brook
such helplessness as the war has
shown to exist Indeed, for years past
manufacturers in New England, New
York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania,
with hundreds of millions invested
and employing hundreds of thousands
Of hands, have been FESTIVE under con-
ditions which lodge in two per cent
lltfIl the tOtiliO VI AiiN WHY A'tiiN
facture. To make matters worse
there have, it is claimed, been abuses
growing out of secrecy and monopoly.
Adulteration and bribery have, II is
alleged, been practiced on a large
scale.
The materials entering into the
manufacture of dye in Germany are
mainly by-products of coke. The
flames leaping up from the ovens
which give such brilliancy to the
prospect as one travels through the
coke regions in America, dispose of
this by-product spectacularly If not
profitably The statement is made,
however, that it is from oil, rather
than by the too expensive rebuilding
of coke ovens, that il is hoped to de-
velop dye manufacture in America
The oil interests are understood to be
pioneering very actively for dye ma
terials and the temporary misfortune
Of a shortage in eolors for silks, wool
ems and cottons may lead to American
Industrial independence in a very im-
portant field