Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-11-23
FUTURE on AMERICAS
SUPpI.Y or POTASH.

10 Eiukn aAbhuht special newspaper
correspondent in Europe. one OF the
reasons why Germany hangs so tena-
ciously 20 the territory comprised by
Alsace and Lorraine is because OF
vast deposits of potash therein. larE
er than any heretofore worked In the
Prussian Empire. and on which Ger
many relies 10 continue her monop- |
oliSation of the world potash trade
after the war,
One of the insistent demands OF |
France il that the end of the war
will see the restoration OF the two
provinces which were wrested from
her by Bismarck in 1870. a program
to which the United States 10 In no
way committed. But the treatment
which Germany has accorded IN the
past to American purchasers OF her
potash would mako the restoration
OF these provinces 10 France a mat
ter much TO be desired IL our main
reliance for the source OF potash sup
ply should be In Europe. However
much has been done since the out
break OF the European war and the
consequent cutting off OF the German
source, TO make II possible 20 secure
potash az home. For instance. q
new enterprise on the Pacific Coast
Ia the extraction OF potash from the
furnace fiue dust of cement kilns.
which now runs aH high as 90 per
cent Another PROCESS liz the treat
ment OF cement dust with fuorspar
and water. whereby one firm recently
produced 900 tons OF K20 In six
months. realizing On its sale net
profit OF about $4,000. The
American Trona Company has dis
covered a practical way OF sepArat
Ing potash from soda salts and ex
poets soon to be able 20 put 10000
tons annually on the market from
the large deposits of chloride OF pc
tassium 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 sen
weed found along the coast II II re
ported that deposits in Connecticut
will shortly be yielding a high grade
of potash.
Eilwood Hendrick, OF the Ameri-
can Chemical Society. names several
possible sources OF potash a. n by
product Of sugar factories. cement
plants, and blast furnaces. and after
looking over the entire field OF pos
sibilIties In the United States walter
Kutzleb assures us tnat by a proper
coordination of effort We can producs
two million tons ot potash annually
which could be sold to American far
mers at sis per ton. Since the wal
began the price Of this article hal
advanced from S3g to as high Al
5000 per ton. and an q fertilizer |
has become weii-nigh pTohibitiYe OF
account of the price. It has beei
estimated that prior to the war wi
imported annually about 900 ,O0l
tons OF potash In its various form
to be used in the manufacture Of q
plosiyes. matches. 10 preserve meats
as fertilizer. etc.
Germany has never lost an oppor
tunity 10 strange the potash indus
try in this country IN It's infancy b
price-wrecking. The Diamond Sod
Works at Milwaukee suffered mi
fRte in 1907. and the Niagara Aka
Co was badly hurt in 1913. A N
general manager of the NIaEaF
Company wisely aaid: when a
American industry In thereatene
with extinction b. the eompeiitio
OF manufacturers working under ii
wing Of Government which hi
passed laws forcing that America
industry to pay nearly double for 4
raw material. It In manifeshY props
that the article manufactured fro
this raw material should be made
pay It's Just revenue 10 the Unit.
States Government and 81 ths san
time AFFORD incidental protection
the American industry Wheth
the Alsaflan deposits remain 81 q
hands 81 Germany. or revert
France. the fact remains that Z
war has made II possible and imps
. alive that we develop our own soul
e 90 Of supply. we tre doing 20. q