The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
GERMANS DISCOVER SUBSTITUTES FOR
 MANY NECESSITIES
In Various Industries They Find Something to Take Places of What They
 Cannot Secure

Berlin, January 1o.-(Correspondence of the Associated Press.)-The extent to which substitutes and limitations are ram pant in Germany today from one of the most interesting subjects of the now sea- sonable reviews. The 'ersatz'-the Ger man word for substitue-is now common not only in the line of foodstuffs, but in the chemical industry, textiles and metals. Though from time to time in dications of this change in German life have become known abroad, there have lately appeared interesting summaries which afford a sharper focus on the situation. Some of the items in this de- velopment, under their respective heads, are as follows:
 Saltpeter: Before the war Germany im- ported annually over $40,0OO,0o0 worth of saltpeter for agricultural and ammuni- ton purposes, mainly from Chile, and all of this regular supply was lost at the outset of the war. Today countless fac tories in Germany are manufacturing saltpeter, whereas before the war there were only few such experimental es- tablishments, and Germany is now able not only to supply the increased amount of saltpeter necessary for ammunition, but also has been able to furnish all that is necessary for fertilizers.
 Aluminium: Before the war the supply of bauxite for the manufacture of alumi- mum had been imported from France, and the cutting off of this supply led German scientists to discover a process of alumni mum manufacture by electricity from or dinary clay.
 Mineral Oils: Chemical experts in the German coal fields have discovered new ways of extracting oils from their coal, partly relieving the serious condition re- sulting from the cutting off of mineral oil imports which, in 1913, amounted to no less than $277, 100000.
 Rubber: Germany lost practically all of her imports of rubber, and to offset this shortage she has ubstituted steel for rubber in innumerable cases where rub Der had been used purely for its elas- ticity. Further, the perfection of the submarine merchantship made it possible to bring enough new rubber to mix with the old in the creation of a regenerated or synthetic rubber. The supply of this has been developed until now it is said to be sufficient to last for another eight months.
 Graphite: Ceylon was the exclusive source of supply of graphite used in Ger many before the war, because the Cey- lon graphite was 99 per cent pure. Since the beginning of the war Germany has been dependent entirely upon the inferior Bavarian graphite, but German chemists
 
 the Bavarian article can be purified to a 97 per cent standard
 Resin: Supplies of this had come ex- clusively from America and France, but German chemists have now become able to produce all that is needed from the German forests, or are able to use as a substitute for rosin the by-products of wood and coal.
 Textiles: Paper has been adapted in innumerable instances to serve for cloth. By using protoxide of sodium, sulphite cellulose and paper a very durable and satisfactory thread has been evolved. which. in turn, lends itself to the creation of sacks and bags, girdles, doilies, aprons, working garments, wrapping cloth and thread and string. The inventors have dis covered way to give the ypaper- cloth' great resistance to dampness Cellulose has been found to lend it. self to the production of guncotton when combined with other chemicals, and nettles have proved themselves to be the source of cotton batting. thread, yarn, coloring matter and even foodstuffs. Dresses and other clothes are being manufactured out of arti- ficial cotton and wool as they some times were in peace times Even the reeds that grow on the banks of lakes and ponds are being used to make artificial cloths.
 Copper: Almost the only ''unsub- stitutable" substance has been copper, but there has been found to be plenty of that on hand in German industrial plants and elsewhere. In place of the copper thus taken by the gov ernment there have been installed aluminium and zinc. out of which wires and utensils of various sorts have been fashioned. with perfect success. Tn addition zinc has been found to do just as we'll as copper in the manufac- ture of a score of articles in every day use, and is a good substitute also for brass and bronze. Iron and steel also substitute satisfactorily in dozens of other eases. and are now largely used in installing apparatus of all kinds, in place of rubber. copper and brass Zinc and aluminium and zinced iron find their use now in switch boards and the like in place of marble or slate.
 Foodstuffs: Imitation has played almost if not quite as large a part as substitutes for fcotistuffs of which shortage has been created by the war. Many of the limitations are Of doubtful nutritious value. some of them have proved dangerous. but the authorities have kept a watchful eye on the situation and have promptly put the pan on the Ddu lIn1tdI1OnS ana required the proper labelling of the good ones. The grain supply of the empire, originally not near enough for the consumption of 70.o00.00o of people. has been stretched" by potato flour And now that the potato crop is al- most failure potato flour will itself he substituted by barley during the first half of 1917. When the coffee began to run short it's consumption was reduced, and Ger many took recourse to adnixtures of chicory, roasted grain. so-called "fig |Hoffee' and coffee extracts. Tea which also is short and expensive, has been gradually replaced by ex- tracts from home grown berries and herbs Germany has learned to alter its tastes somewhat and to be con tent with brews that are probably just as wholesome as tea. but not quite the same in appearance and contents.