Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-27
Tuesday, November II, 1917.
Our Future Potash Supply.

According 70 Hugh Gibson, special
newspaper correspondent in Europe,
ono of the reasons why Germany hangs
y, ;,aaciously to the territory COM
pr. ed by Alsace and Lorraine is be-
cause OF vast deposits OF potash
therein. larger than any heretofore
worked in the Prusxian empire, and on
which Germany relies to continue her
monopolzation of the world potash
trade after the war.
One of the insistent demands of
France is that the end Of the war will
see the restoration OF the two
provinces which were wrested from her
by Bismarck in 1870, program to
which the United Sttaes is in no way
committed. But the treatment which
Germany has accorded in the past to
American purchasers Of her potash
would make the restoration Of these
provinces to France a matter much to
be desired II our main reliance for
source Of potash supply should be in
Europe. However. much has been
done since the outbreak Of the Euro
pean war and the consequent cutting
off the German source. to make it
possible to secure potash at home. For
instance. a new enterprise on the
Pacific coast is the extraction of potash
from the furnace fue dust Of cement
kilns. which now run as high a. 80 per
cent. Another process is the treat
ment Of cement dust with fuorspar
and water, whereby one firm recently
produced $50 tons Of K2o in six months.
realizing on Its sale a net profit Of
about $4,000. The American Trona
Company has discovered a practical
way Of separating potash from soda
salts and expects soon to be able to put
10000 tons annually on the market
from the large deposits of chloride OF
potassium to be found in the vicinity
Of Searles Lake, California, and in that
state also experiments have for some
time been conducted to recover potash
from the giant kelp, a seaweed found
along the coast. 1t is reported that
deposits in Connecticut will shortly be
yielding a high grade OF potash.
Ellwood Hendrick, Of the American
Chemical Society, names several pos
sible sources OF potash as a by-prouct
OF sugar factories, cement plants, and
the entire field of possibilities in the
United States Walter Kutzleb assures
us that by proper coordination Of ef-
fort We can produce two million tons
of potash annually which could be sold
TO American farmers at SIS per ton.
Since the war began the price of this
article has advanced from $40 to as
high as $500 per ton, and as a fertilizer
II has become well-nigh prohibitive on
account Of the price. 1t has been esti-
mated that prior to the war we i'm
ported annually about 1000 900 tons OF
potash in its various forms to be used
in the manufacture Of explosives.
matches, to preserve meats, as fer
tilizer, etc.
Germany has never lost an oppor-
tunity to strangle the potash industry
In this country in its infancy, by price
wYecking. The Diamond Soda Works
AT Milwaukee suffered this fate in
1907, and the Niagara Alkah Co. was
badly hurt in 1918. AS the general
manager OF the Niagara Company
wisely said: when an American in
dustry is threatened with extinction
by the competition of manufacturers
working under the wing of a govern
ment which has passed laws forcing
that American industry to pay nearly
double for its raw material. it is mani
testify proper that the article manu-
featured from this raw material should
he made to pay its just revenue to the
United States government and at the
same time afford incidental protection
10 the American industry"
Whether the Alsatian deposits re-
main in the hands OF Germany, or re-
vert to France. the fact remains that
the war has made 1t possible and i'm
perative that we develop our own
sources OF supply. we are doing So
and through the medium OF a protec-
tive tariff this industry, so important
TO art, science, and agriculture should
be assured a solid foundation in the
United States.