The log cabin Democrat., 1916-03-07
COTTON LARGELY :. USED IN MAKING
 0F EXPLOSIVES
American Staple of Great Im- portance to Fighting
 Power of Army.
GERMANY FINDS SUBSTITUTE
Experts Said to Have Discovered New Process in Which Wood Pulp Is Employed-Ship Load of Cot.
 ton Costs 500 Lives.

Washington.-Op 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, 90 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 ore pound of smokeless pow der, an idea may be gathered of the i importance the American staple bears to the fighting power of an army
 In justification of it's contraband or der, the government of Great Britain in a statement issued by the embassy here, pointed out the extensive use of cotton for military purposes and that 1t 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 a bale of cotton will turn out 300 pounds of smokeless powder, and, putting 1t in another way, that every shipload of cotton reaching the Germans results in the death of 500 soldiers of the allies.
 One Million Bales for Powder.
 Representative Heflin of Alabama in- troduced 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 100000 bales of cotton had been used by American intuition makers since the beginning of the European war
 
 the house dealing with cotton growing and exportation, estimated that total of 3,0OO,000 bales of the staple grown in the United States had found it's way into powder. He allows 2,000000 bales consumption by the governments of Europe and the remainder to the man. ufacturing plants in the United States.
 In Af 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 fulfillment 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 d letter from Germany showing that cotton was not being used in the manufacture of powder at all, that long be'ore the outbreak O. the war eXper.s 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 linterc and, 1t was related. the German military de partment las been releasing its cot ton to the factories turning out cottcn cloths. In this way the Georgia sen ator attempted to show that cotton was being employed in peaceful pur- | suits and for peaceful purposes. If | the Germans have successfully substi- tuted the ingredient for cotton linters in the manufacture of smokeless pow der it is believed that the intuition 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 secret nature as to prevent em- l 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 ir progress for only portion of thai