South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-03-22
WITH OTHER EDITORS
THAN OURS
THE CHEMIST.
lMemphIs News scImItar.l

Hitherto the world has looked up
on the chemist as a mysterious be-
ing. who concealed himself and car
ried on his experiments in a secret
laboratory He was supposed 10 con
cen himself with trying to discover
the elixir of life. method of trans
muung the baser metals into gold
or in making poisonous gases 10 be
used in wartime. The war has
| brought the chemist 10 the front
and we now see that his efforts are
unitarian and necessary. and that
he is making a very large figure in
! the activities of the world
The chemists of Europe have TAX
en- up many substances that were
| supposed 10 be valueIess. and con
verted them into wholesome and
nOurishing food for the people. They
| have taken up standard articles Of
food. and by processing them and
commingling them they have in
creased the food supply. and in this
way benefited their countrymen.
In this country our chemists and
scientists have been busy for a long
time discovering new processes Of
manipulating iron and steel They
have made it possible 10 pile az
enormous fortunes by the advantage
they provided, and which other ma
tons did not possess.
The great oil companies have been
employing high-class chemists. and
vast number Of by-products that
are on the market. and which are
derived originally from crude petro-
luem. are convincing evidence Of the
fact that they have covered a large
field and brought in valuable and
profitable fruits
Among ourselves we have seen
what has been done with the once
despised cottonseed. which is now
being used in so many ways that
only the possessor of catalogue
can obtain a fairly accurate idea
Any number of southern products
have been taken in hand by the
chemists and commercial products
of great value are being extracted
from them that were not dreamed
of few years ago.
One of the greatest achievements
of our American chemists is the dis
covery Of a method of making what
is called synthetic silk out of wood
pulp. About 100000 pounds of
this silk is being manufactured an
nually, and while France is entitled
to the credit for the discovery and
is a pioneer in the industry. our
chemists are also giving the matter
consideration We have always look
ed TO the silk worm and TO the orient
for our supply. but under the new
system a fabric can be manufactured
that is equal to anything from the
east, and at a price that brings il
within the reach of everyone.
OF course, our chemists have
made wonderful discoveries and de-
velopment i'm the matter Of produc-
ing dyestuffs since the beginning OF
the European war in 1914. They
have made this country. i'm a large
measure, Independent of Europe for
coloring matter, and the end is not
yet.
Chemistry has been a great science
time cut Of mind, but laymen knew
but very little about il, because it
was supposed to belong 70 the mys-
terious upper ranges Of thought and
investigation. It challenges the best
thought of the world at the pres
ent time. but il has been brought
down 20 where its ends are practical
and useful. What the chemists will
do for the world i'm the near future
not even the most daring Will hazard
a conjecture