The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-31

SiStsnce and furnish light and power
al cost. II may also be added that in
Germany "spiritus" tgrain and potato
s!cohoD forms an important substitute
for petroleum; and in addition there
are calcium carbide and acytelsne. The
most important German substitute for
petroleum as a motor fuel however
* coal tar bcuZol, which can be eX-
traCted IN ,lnoS. unlimited quantities
from coke. The technical difficulty of
It's practical use has been overcome by
. simple change in the carburetor. The
substitution of Ignite coal for petroleum
as a lubricant has thus far been kept
back in Germany only by the abundant
and cheap supply Of the American OIL
products Bur should Ignite coal once
firmly establish itself through the forci-
bile prohibition for any length OF time
Of the importation of American pc
trOleum the German market would GER
tainly be lost to us.
Once more, it is not a question OF a
temporary interruption Of our exports,
but of Gripping dealt to them, whose
effects will last.
So far as American wheat Is con-
cerned, Germany has q substitute in
%le rye which IL grows, and which
I hitherto il has freely exported But
besides rye the empire possesses a most
valuable substitute for wheat in the
potato, which proved its importance in
times Of war as long ago as the days
OF Frederick the Great. In ordinary
times Germany produces annually S.
000,o tons Of potatoes. OF these 25
! per cent are used as food and 40 per
cent. AZ fodder. Until quite recently
10 per cent. OF this harvest--that is.
! $500 900 tons-was lost because the
potatoes were spoiled by being kept too
long. This huge loss. however, has
been done away with by two scientific
lnventions-the evaporation OF the po-
tsto and It's preservation by a chemical
process in which bacteria cultures play
the chief part.
Already before the war Germany had
coo "drierS" for evaporation of potatoes
an economically most important indus
Try. as It made the potato trade indie
pendent Of seasons. c;ince the begin
ming OF hostilities 900 more Of these
driers have been put up by the Gov
eminent. A reduction OF the produc-
| ton of potato alcohol and OF starch to
the absolutely necessary will complete
| this translation of waste into foodstuff
sufficiently great to supply Germany's
present Lack OF wheat, The use OF
potato nour in baking the so-called
war bread" of the empire has already
been made familiar TO readers of the
American press As a ,natter OF fact,
however. this form OF bread, with its
10 to 10 per cent. OF potato 1our, Is
nothing new in Germany. Ii has been
used by tho German farmers In differ
emit parts of the country for many years
because the potato -four admixture
serves to keep It fresh.
! l may here refer also to our exports
| OF fodder for cattle--oilcake, bran,
| husks, SC, unconsidered by-products
whose total amounted in our export
account with Germany in 1913 to the
| tidy little sum OF SIS, 900, 900. For these
too Germany has found a substitute in
the potato.
The list of the agricultural substi-
tutes which Germany is learning to use
instead OF our products might he con-
siderably enlarged, but enough has been
said to prove the growing danger that
| threatens the future or the American
export trade in its four most important
commodities.