Evening star., 1915-04-04

ion that any rapid development and evo
luton of the dyestuff branch, on scale
commensurate with the nations needs,
present and prospective can be assured
only on the basis of an effective law pre-
venting that action toward control of our
markets by foreign monopoly which is
now prohibited to domestic monopoly,
says Secretary Redheld.
american economists feel that the
present crisis offers the most favorable
moment to decide upon policy with re-
gard to this important industry,
whether it is to be firmly rooted in Amer-
can soil or whether the dependence upon
a foreign source is to continue indefinitely.
1t is pointed out that each year which
elapses increases in geonetrical ratio the
difficulties attendant upon any attempt
to create self contained American dye
stuff industry. Further, it is claimed that
il is the only highly organized industry
not yet brought broad and generous
scale within the cycle of American eco
nomic activity.
The American consumption of artificial
dyestuffs has attained an annual value
Of SD 100000 and is growing steadily.
1t is supplied III part by domestic pro-
duction valued at about $4,000, 900, which.
however. is based chiefly upon the of
foreign materials, halfmadc nearly
completed color compounds. Only a small
portion is made from American crude
coal-tar compounds
The great bulk of the artificial dyestuff
comes from Europe. The average i'm
ports are
Germany So sc. 600
Sraa, T,a1eTiana nriIain and Others. s.o"S
Total 80, l''O.ttn
Since August l. 1914, i'll consequence
OF the war in Europe. this foreign sup
ply has been interrupted and constant
ly threatened with complete cessation.
One of the large factors which may AT
any time close completely the export
ing of dyes from beIigerent countries
is the possibility of military necessity
of communicating the available supply
of the chief coal tar crude material,
bcnzoJ for use as a motor fuel, or di-
yertinr the limited supply of nitric
acid, the chief chemical used in color
manufacture, to the manufacture OF
explosives.
Because of the existing conditions
prices on such dyestuffs as can be de-
livered have mounted from % to 80
per cent and the multitude of users of
dyestuffs in the United States have
been crippled in various ways. They
have been forced to change designs
oI dDdiuOI Certain ~ oud't'' VI " re-
vert to a temporary of natural
dyestuns. with all the accessory read
justnent and revolution in dyeing
processes.
Everywhere difficulties are being
perienced in meeting contract specifi-
cations and in making definite plans
and agreements for the future. The
Importance of dyewood has quickly in
creased, and, of course, the prices have
mounted.
Up to the time of the war the old
time natural dyestuffs, such indigo.
madder. cochineal orchil. fustic and
many more. had all disappeared from
any extended use by the dyer. The
same also applied to the mineral col
ors. with few exceptions, such
Prussian blue in silks and iron buff in
khaki
The coal tar chemical industry in
cludes not only the manufacture of
dyestuffs. but of a number of medicinal
preparations and of various high ex-
plostves. 1t is based upon the use of
crude compounds present, to small