The Washington herald., 1917-12-20
URGES LARGER
ACID PLANTS
Holland Says U. S. Must In
crease Manufacture Of Nj
trates by Water Power.

occupied with manufacturing chemi-
cal products. one Of which undoubtedly
was q supreme service to the United
States at the time war with Germany
was declared. are convinced that Ger
many, together with her Austrian al
lies, used 10000 tons of nitric acid in
the manufacture of new supplies of
explosives, this being done in the
FIRST year OF the war.
In an address before the American
Association for the Advancement of
Science. Professor Noyes stated that
at the beginning OF the war Germany
had in storage. 600 900 tons OF salt
peter and within a short time after
the war began she obtained 100000 tons
more. In other words Germany had
on hand some time after the war be-
gan 100000 tons of salt-peter. Even
that supply was inadequate. but the
acquisition OF such an enormous
quantity as this while the world was
at peace and there was little or no
suspicion that Germany contemplated
war. Is spoken OF as one of the best
of the illustrations, of which there
are many, of the thorough preparation
Germany made before the Kaiser
Joined with his high military associates
in declaring war.
dany times 1t has been observed that
Germany and Austria were for while
occupied in several offensive assaults
upon our allies, and then it seemed
as though they had spent their en-
ergies for the time being in these as
saults; for II was observed. that after
a while they slowed down and there
was a considerable period OF inactivity.
Now our men of science are convinced
that the stacking UP of the offensive
> which has been so characteristic OF
the war movements OF Germany ana
Austria. has been due chiefly. II not
exclusively. to the exhaustion for
while of her explosives.
Shortage of Munitions.
Professor Noyes has recently as
serted that the million tons Of salt
peter which was Germany's supply
Immediately after the war began was !
entirely used up in the first year or
the war, in the manufacture OF ex-
pIosIves. The supply was not sut-
ficient to maintain, without relaNa-
ton, offensive operations. Military
operations were therefore constantly
held I'D on account of the shortage.
Germany and Austria were there |
fore compelled to wait some weeks,
in one or two instances some months,
before their manufacturers OF ex-
plosiyes were able to furnish the
armies with an adequate supply with
which to resume offensive military
operations. To quote Professor Noyes'
Battles are fought for three or four
weeks, and then for three or four
months nothing is done because the
supply of heterogeneous compounds Is
temporarily exhausted"
Germany. it Is understood. Is utill-
King all of her water powers chiefly
~ fV,F1, Nil
from the atmosphere. In all proba- |
bility, had Germany been unable to I!
establish great plants whose energy |
was furnished by her water powers |
and whose product was nitric acid
obtained by what is called the fixa-
ton of atmospheric nitrogen, the war
would have been over within year !
after it began. Germany did not hesi- |
tate to confiscate every plant Whlch |
her armies found in operation in Bel |
Eium or in Alsace or Lorraine. They !
confiscated the French Claude pro- |
cess plants and are using the pro-
ducts which the French formerly OBJ
tanned in these plants in their onen- |
sive against the allies.
Chilean NItrates.
In the year before the war broke out
Germany secured and stored, presurn-
ably in anticipat ton Of the war, 6o,CO
tons of nitrates, which were bought in :
Chile and exported to Germany. NO.
body in the United States and ap-
parentIy no one in England or France
took any heed Of this unusually heavy /
purchase Of nitrates from Chile and
the importing Of the commodity into
Germany. Nor was any notice taken
of the fact that just before the war
began Germany imported approx
mateIy 10000 tons more.
When Gen. Grant began the siege OF |
Fort Donaldson his scouts brought
word to him that Confederate soldiers
who were captured were found to have
several days rations in their haVer-
sacks Gen. Grant, therefore, with IN
tuitive judgment. declared that the
Confederates were getting ready 10
evacuate the fort and to retreat 10
some place Of safety In the South
Acting upon this information. he at
tackled and compelled the surrender
of the fort and the army. No British
statesman. and. so far as is known,
no army officer of Great Britain paid
the slightest attention to the enormous
imports of Chilean nitrates by Ger
many, and yet a little reflection would
have led to the suspicion at least that
Germany was preparing for immediate
military operations.
When Antwerp was captured the
German troops seized 100000 tons OF
nitrates that were stored there. a
part Of this, II not all, was convert
ed into explosives chiefly for use in
the continued battles OF Verdun. 1t
has been within a few days leaned
in Washington that in two days bat
tie at Verdun the Germans used more
explosives than were consumed in the
whole Franco-Prussian war.
Yet 1t Is only recently that the
Congress has made an appropriation
sufficient to establish a nitrogen pro-
ducing plant in Northern Alabama
whose energy is to be furnished by
water power. 1t Is well known in in
dustrial circles that II the necessary
legislation can be obtained and so
drafted that public interests will be
perfectly protected, abundant capital
will be furnished for the utilization
of these water powers not only for
the manufacture Of nitric acid but
many other commodities, thereby Sc
curing q saving in man power and |
q very great saving In coal.