The sun., 1916-01-09
Wonderful Progress Made in Extract
ing Free Nitrogen, the Basis of
All Explosives

be needed--a very considerable excess
over and beyond the lands potentially
available for such culture. Clearly, |
the only possible remedy lay in max |
ing the soil more productive; and the |
nations knew that this could be done
only by giving back to the soil an
abundance OF nitrogen.
That Sir Williams warning mean.
something to this country can be
gathered from the following suggest.
i've facts: In 1898 the United States
imported Chilean saltpetre to the
amount of 125.194 tons. costing 81
701.757. Only two years later i'm
ports Of this material had increased
4I.2o per cent. while the cost had
mounted nearly "a per cent. the 1884,
34S tons imported in 1900 represent
ing an outlay OF $4.700.772. For the
fiscal year OF 1914 We imported 564,04s
tons OF sodium nitrate, for which we
had to pay s17.e5o.7S6. Between 1898
and 1914, an interval OF only sixteen
years, the cost per ton of Chilean
saltpetre had risen from $2l.5S to
$31.S2-in other words, an increase of
47.45 per cent.
| Since the outbreak Of the world war
the need Of an added abundance of
nitrogen has become doubly appar-
ent. Nitric acid goes into the making
Of munitions; the manufacture Of
nitroglycerine. dynamite. guncotton,
smokeless powder and trinitrotoluol
are absolutely dependent upon fixed
nitrogen. Many synthetic medicines
would he denied to humanity but for
the metamorphosing powers of nitro
gen. and for the millions that have
been stricken by its violence hundreds
OF thousands have been helped back
to health and strength through this
same element in Its beneticent moods,
Hemmed in Germany has been able
to make her cramped and naturally
none too fertile acres splendidly pro-
ductive through the plentiful employ
ment Of nitrogenous fertilizers. Her
cannon and her hungering populace
have been fed largely through the me-
dium of nitrogen drawn from the air
and fixed in suitable substances
Herein. scientists point out. lies the
lesson for the United States. wha!
should we he able to do IL Chilean salt
, petre were closed to us. as might read
, ily be the case in time of war. We have
not to-day "a sufficient reserve supply
of sodium nitrate within our boun'
daries. and the nation could not carry
j.. on its defence for any effective peroc
OF time without this vitally necessary
=, material. BY sodium nitrate is meant
!, fixed nitrogen in any form. whether
), this be ammonia. nitric acid. saltpetre
:. or any other state in which atmos
!, pheric nitrogen Is held available fol
mans immediate use. The aiternativ,
Is to do what Germany is 80 largel!
doing to-day: draw this needful nitro
= gen from the atmosphere and store I
< IN such way that an abundance o
a It may be always available. But HOY
u can this be done"
II According to DR.. Thomas II. Nortol
u OF the Department Of Commerce. 9Th
% atmosphere enveloping the globe con
L sists chiefly OF nitrogen, which con
= stitutes IS per cent. of its volume an
.s 75.5 per cent. Of its weight II ha
IA been estimated that the column of nj
l. resting upon each square yard Of IN
ID earth's surface contains 5.S tons q
IL nitrogen in the free elementary state
lathe atmospheric nitrogen above one