The Washington herald., 1915-08-01
GERMAN wheels
ON new TRACKS
Economic System Changed
and All Factories Turn
Out War Supplies.
EXPORTS ARE CUT OFF
So Syndicates Alter Products and In
ventive Genius Makes Substitutes
for Necessary Imports.
By FREDERICK WERNER.

became eNlQent IHdl inc dS
10 be one for the country's national
existence the government with char
acterisuc energy planned a thorough
reorganization of the nations eco
nomic and industrial activities and
resources.
This reorganization may now said
to be complete, the country is fully
organized for war and though. of
course. the varying fortunes of war
will continually bring forward new
problems to be solved, a solid founda-
ton has been laid for the maintenance
of social life in the near future.
ut is almost impossible to ina CINE.
a prominent member of the govern
ment said to me, what a gigantic
task il has been TO reorganize the
entire production of country. the
value of whose annual exports eN-
ceeded 10000. 100000 marks $4,000
0o0.ooo) and whose exports were in
creasing more rapidly perhaps than
those of any other country in the
world. when suddenly all outside com
munications We're cut off
For an entire year Germany has
been practically a closed country. as
were formerly China and Japan. and
simultaneously we have been engaged
in life-and-death struggle against
a world of enemies No country In
the world mas ever 1OunO lIScll
in a similar position.
dustrial activities were suddenly par
alyzed The official statistics show
this in the most striking manner In
July. 1914 there were on an average
about IA applicants for every 100 va
cant positions In August the num-
her of applicants suddenly rose to go.
II was not long. however. before the
ia h1- the department
revived production. the enormous or
ders for war supplies of all kind be-
gan to show their effect and. as the
number of men called TO the colors
continued TO increase. there became
less unemployment In December.
1914. the number Of applicants Tor loo
vacant positions was l34. or below
the normal.
The German ability not only to hold
out. but even to grow stronger, has far
surpassed even the most sanguine
expectations of German political
economists AS one Of them writes
The wheels of the engine are now
running smoothly on the new tracks
as they did on the old.
The reason must he sought in the
splendid organization of German man
ufacturers. who are practically all uni
ted in trusts or syndcates.
The central management of these had
been a bic almost instantly TO connrn
their activities TO the demands of the
changed situation.
This is also the reason why the effects
OF the British blockade Of the empire
have been felt only very little and Ger
many has proven herself to be an en-
pire that is practically independent of
the outside world and able to exist on
her own resources
Though Germany has had to do without
- ~ Ill
400 OGO o0n. her supplies are not yet ex-
haust.d and she has suffered very little.
though in some cases substitutes have
had 10 he found.
There has of course. been a temporary
shortage of grain. but potatoes were
found to be excellent substitutes and
Germany's normal crop of potatoes is
ten times as big as that of Great Bril-
tain and at lest five times as big as that
of the United States
The ack of saltpeter for some time was
viewed with considerable alarm. but
German chemists found remedy and the
government has now laid the foundation
of q manufacture of nitrates which will
very shortly make Germany permanently
able TO get along without any imports
In this wear. when 1t has been necessary
10 uS- more fertilizers than ever on the
fields nitratas in sufficient quantities
have been successfully manufactured
In the sam wav the manufacture of
bCnZnI has covered the alarming short
age IF benzine.
Wherever II has been possible steel
iron and zinc are being used in place of
copper. but should it become necessary
Germany may make use of her reserve
supplies of the red metal. which are
very large.
The German chemist has also con-
ouered the lack of cattle food, hav-
ing invented an albuminious food made
by oXygeniZing the refuse from the
breweries There is besides an enor-
NOUS excess supply of sugar and side
products OF the sugar factories
The fact that German exports have
ceased has liberated thousands of
hands needed for the production Of
war supplies. not only ammunitions.
but MANY other things continually re-
quired nv the armies in unlimited
quantities. Practically all industrial
concerns have thus been able to pay
their usual dividends TO their stock
holders
Everybody knows the great depart
ment store Of Wertheim in Berlin. Its
sales dwindling to a mere fraction of
their normal size. the firm opened a
factory for shells in a Berlin suburb.
KempInsky. owner of the famous res
taurant in Leipzigerstrasse. is making
well-known Crefeld manufacturers of
artificial silk. are making ammunition.
This has again kept all Germany's ma
chine shops busy. for instead of turn
ing out machinery for export they are
busy making machines for the trans
formed industrial Establishments at
home
The amalgamated and artificial silk
manufacturers at Frankfurt normally
turn out artificial silk. but as there Is
no demand for this now. the firm has
transformed it's drying plant and is
now using all its hands in turning out
dried vegetables for the army. !
Guben & Co.. in Spreewald. ordinarily
manufacture felt hats. Millions of
wearers Of felt hats are now serving
in the armies and the firm found itself
on the verge of ruin AS this would
have been a veritable calamity for the
town Of spreewald. the OberburEer-
neister went to the military authori-
ties and asked them to adopt felt he'll
NETS instead Of leather helmets in the
army successful experiment was
made. the felt helmet was adopted Gu
ben began to manufacture these. and
the crisis was averted.
Many other similar changes in the
uniform have been made to save manu-
facturers.
Now. a year after the beginning of
the war. the transformation of German
industries 10 complete
Rapid cooling Of liquid produces fine
CRYSTALS: the slower II chanSeg form che