The sun., 1916-01-30

Though silk and France are almost
synonymous to the uninitiatcd public.
the United States Is the greatest silk
manufacturing country in the world. and
practically all the best of the standard
silks used here are made in this country.
In a recent address made to the SILK
Association Of America by its president.
Charles Cheney, II was pointed out that
for the three years before the war the
mills OF the United States consumed
about the same amount of raw silk as
France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy
combined, or twice as much as was used
by France alone.
Tho success Of the silk industry at
the opening Of the new year may be
described In one word, unprecedented.
Though the war has been factor in
bringing about this condition. 1T has not
been the only factor. Fashion. an un-
loaded market and a wave Of prosperity
in sight after four years of sort of Diet
ing along after the partial recovery in
1910. following the panic of 1907-0S,
were all factors foretclling good SILK
times even had there been no war. OF
all these. however. fashion is probably
the most important. for without fashion $
sanction. no matter what the other con-
ditions. silk would go out Of business.
The prosperity of the past year and the
predicted prosperity for 1916 in the silk
industry IL due to the combination of
fashion and conditions enhanced by the
war in that America must meet deficits
in the import as well as supply her
own demand.
This deficit in import, however. Is not
az great AS again "the uniuitiHtcd' sup.
pose. In actual figures the import for
eleven months prior to December /. 1918
N "a =
eS.664,00o. AZ against $?.402.000 in
1914 and IS, $4,000 IN 1918. This only
goes TO show how quietly tho upbuilding
OF the silk industry has progressed until
II In one Of the great achievements IN
American industrial history. There are
now in the United States some eight oi
nine hundred silk factories. though bu,
comparatively few large ones.
In recent article Horace Cheney
points out som. of the difficulties whict
had to he owe come during this vrowth h
''h IL safe to say" he writes. no in
dustry has had greater difficulties M
raw material Is produced here nC
knowledge of n most intricate art al
ready highly developed in foreign couu
tries: no machinery or specially machin,
builders. high wage scale. as agaius
the lowest paid skilled workers Of th'
world in China, Japan and Europe W
knowledge of art or what was artistic
no dyers. dycStuffs. colorists. in fac
nothing AT all, not even capital could b
Interested"
Yet one Of the features OF 1915 wa
that silk sales were made largely on ney
merchandise. and 1918 by some manu-
facturers is claimed to he the very hes
year ever experienced in the industry
The more conservative manufactured
are unanimous in admitting it as "une o
the best" Reports from some firms shov
an increase of as high as 60 per cent
over 1914.
Georgettes are among this class O
new merchandise. They were original
IN the imported class. bu, have gradu
ally been made with Increasing success
at home. This is also true Of man
other sheer weaves originally import"
from Lyons. There IS still, however
considerable merchandise of this elias
arriving from Lyons. which. wing in IN
south OF France. has not been affect'
by the war as have those factories /
the nur.h. tn" Eodioi Mills. for example
There have also been great stride
made in the manufacture If N"lN"ts d
home and in those first cousins to ve'
vets known as fur fabrics" Duriu
the past season there mas been a great