The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-03-16
COTTON LARGELY
USED IN MAKING
Of EXPLOSIVES
American Staple of Gseat I'm
portance to Fighting
Power of Army.
GERMANY FINDS SUBSTITUTE
Experts Said to Have Discovered New
Process in Which Wood Pulp Is
EmpIoyed-ShipL Load OF Cot
ton Costs 500 Lives.

Washington. Opinions widely diff
fer as to the amount of raw cotton be-
ing consumed in the manufacture of
smokeless powder, both here and in
Europe, not only as to the total con-
sumption since the war began, but the
amount necessary to produce one
pound of such powder. OF powders.
80 per cent being used in Europe is
known as "smokeless," according to
the military records of this govern
ment, and since the reckoning here is
that it requires one pound of cotton to
produce one pound of smokeless pow
der, an idea may be gathered of the
| Importance the American staple bears
to the fighting power Of an army.
In justification of its contraband or
der, the government of Great Britain
in statement issued by the embassy
here, pointed out the extensive use of
cotton for military purposes and that
it forms practically the only base for
explosives employed by European
armies. The English do not agree,
however, that cotton consumption is
pound for pound, but that only four
tenths Of one pound of cotton Is re-
quired to produce one pound of this ex-
plosive. Some of their authorities
contend that bale of cotton will turn
out 900 pounds of smokeless powder,
and, putting it in another way, that
every shipload of cotton reaching the
Germans results in the death OF 800
soldiers Of the allies.
One Million Bales for Powder.
| Representative Heflin of Alabama in
troduced a resolution asking the de-
partment of commerce to obtain fig
ures upon the consumption of cotton
in the manufacture of explosives. Mu-
milton makers desiring tc protect
their trade secrets, are loath to give
facts to the public touching that
phase of the industry, and the figures
obtainable are more or less estimated.
Before one of the committees of the
house recently witness stated that
LOCO, 900 bales of cotton had been used
by American munitiOn makers since
the beginning of the European war.
Representative Hef1in in speech to
the house dealing with cotton growing
and expectation, estimated that total
of 100000 bales of the staple grown
in the United States had found it's way
into powder. He allows 100000 bales
consumption by the governments OF
Europe and the remainder to the man
ufacturing plants in the United States.
In the manufacture of smokeless
powder linters are generally used, ow-
ing to being cheaper than the long
fiber and adaptability of being worked
over. England has contended that If
cotton could be kept out of Germany
sooner or later the Teutonic allies
would run out of powder, yet this pre-
diction does not appear to be approach
ing fulflllment when it is known that
little if any cotton has been getting
into Germany for months.
Germans Have Substitute.
Unconfi-med stories reached the
United States that Germany met the
crisis by gathering cotton rags to work
them back into fiber and grinding into
pulp for powder purposes, but it ap-
pears from documents placed in the
Congressional Record by Senator
Hoke Smith of Georgia that the Teu-
tons resourcefulness is bound by no
such limitations. He read a letter
from Germany showing that cotton
was not being used in the manufacture
Of powder at all, that long before the
outbreak o. the war experts of that
country had substituted wood pulp,
and that since the war began wood
pulp had been relied upon almost en-
tirely.
Other statements were produced by
the senator from Georgia to support
the contention that Germany was no
longer relying upon cotton linters and,
It was related, the German military de-
partment las been releasing it's cot
ton to the factories turning out cotton
cloths. In this way the Georgia SEN
ator attempted to show that cotton
was being employed in peaceful pur-
suits and for peaceful purposes. II
tie Germans have successfully substi-
tuted the ingredient for cotton linters
In the manufacture of smokeless pow
der it is believed that the munition
Industry will undergo a revolution as
to processes. There is no information
as to the cost Of the process claimed
by the Germans or whether it is of
such a secret nature as to prevent en-
ployment by other governments.
Bureau of Census Report.
A statement was recently issued by
the bureau of census on the manufac-
ture of explosives in the United
States during 1914 as compared with
1909. During 1914 the production Of
smokeless powder and guncotton. were
third in the output of the principal ex-
plosives. The European war was in
progress for only a portion of that
year, and there had been no heavy
draft upon the factories here to supply
the armies of the allies. The 1915 re-