The Washington times., 1917-02-17
"ErSatz" Common Now Not
Only in Food, But in Tex
tiles and Metals.
CHEMISTS IN WIZARDRIES
Synthetic SaItpeter, Aluminium,
Oil, Rubber, and Graphite
Among Finds.

BERLIN. Jan. IS Cby maiD.-The
extent to which substitutes and imi;
tations are rampant in Germany to
day forms one of the most interesting
subjects of the reviews. The "ersatz"
the German word for substitutes
now common not only in the line of
foodstuffs, but in the chemical indus
try, textiles and metals. Though from
time to time indications of this
change in German life have become
known abroad there have lately ap-
peared interesting summaries which
afford a sharper focus on the situa-
ton. Some of the items in this de-
velopment, under their respective
heads. are as follows:
Saltpeter-Before the war Germany
imported annually over S4O.OO0OOU
worth OF saltpeter for agricultural
and ammunition purpose, mainly from
Chile, and all of this regular supply
was lost at the outset of the war. To-
day countless factories in Germany
are manufacturing saltpeter. whereas
before the war there were only a few
such experimental establishments,
and Germany is now able not only to
supply the increased amount of salt
peter necessary for ammunition. but
also has been able to furnish all that
10 necessary TOT IeTtlllZerS.
Discovered New Process.
Aluminum-Before the war the sup
ply of bauxite for the manufacture Of
aluminium had been imported from
France, and the cutting off of this
supply led German scientists to dis
cover a process of aluminium manufac-
ture by electricity from ordinary
clay.
Cellulose has been found to lend
itself to the production of guncotton
when combined with other chemicals.
and nettles have proved themselves
to be the source of cotton batting.
even foodstuffs. Dresses and other
clothes are being manufactured out
OF artificial cotton and wool. as they
sometimes 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 "unsubsti-
tutable" 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 govern
ment there have been installed alumni
mum and zinc, out of which wires
and utensils OF various sorts have
been fashioned with perfect success
In addition zinc has been found to do
Just as well as copper in the manu-
facture OF score of articles in ev-
eryday use. and is a good substitute
also for brass and bronze; iron ana
steel also substitute satisfactorily
In dozens OF other cases. and are now
largely used in installing apparatus
OF all kinds in place of rubber. cop
per and brass. Zinc and aluminium
and zinced iron find their use now in
switchboards and the like in place
OF marble or slate.
Mineral oils-ChemicaI experts in
the German coal fields have discover
ed new ways of extracting oils from
their coal. partly relieving the Sc
rious condition resulting from the
cutting off of mineral oil imports.
winch In 1913 amounted to no less
than $2TT,OOO.OOO.
Rubber-Germany lost practically
al OF her imports OF rubber, and to
offset this shortage she has substi-
tnted steel for rubber in innumerable
cases where rubber had been used
purely for its elasticity. Further. the
perfection OF the submarine merchant
ship made it possible to bring in
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.
Paper For Cloth.
Textiles-PapeD has been adapted in |
innumerable instances to serve for |
cloth. BY using protoxide Of sodium. |
Eulphite cellulOse and paper. a very
durable and satisfactory thread has
been evolved, which in turn lends il |
self to the creation OF sacks and bags. |
Eirdless doilies. aprons. working gar
ments, wrapping cloth and thread and |
string. The inventors have discovered |
way to give the paper cloth" great
resistance to dsmpness.
Foods Are Imitation.
Observation-Disclosures have play |
ed almost If not quite as large a part |
as substitutes for fOodstuffs of which |
a 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 ban on the bad limitations
and required the proper labelling OF
the good ones. The grain supply Of |
the empire, originally not near
enough for the consumption Of TO,-
0OO, 900 people, has been stretched"
by potato -four And now that the
potato crop is almost a failure
potato flour will itself be substituted
by barley during the first half of
1917.
When the coffee began to run short
fits consumption was reduced. and
Germany took recourse to admixtures
of chicory, roasted grain. sO-cslled
"fig coffee" and coffee extracts. Tea,
which also is short and expensive,
has been gradually replaced by ex-
tracts from home grown berries s--s
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.