The Washington herald., 1917-10-02
TRIUMPH FOR.
u. 5. chemists
War Makes Them Masters
Over German Scientists,
Says Holland.

A year ago DIR. Plimmon II. Dudley,
now recognized as the worlds ablest
expert on the manufacture OF steel
rails, ventured to announce that he
had worked out the problem. where
by practically unbreakable steel rails
could be manufactured. Exhaustive
tests of rails manufactured by the
Dudley process have now demon
strated that he had excenent reason
for his belief that at last the per-
fected steel rail had been secured,
and one Of the greatest perils in rail-
road travelling had been overcome.
DR.. Dudleys researches and those
of expert chemists were followed by
the discovery of a chemically prepared
substance, which having been infused
into steel furnished the quality which
was needed to make ii absolutely
strong. That triumph is one of the
modern successes of American chem
istry. It was In no way related to
the emergencies and suddenly. created
conditions due to the breaking out OF
the war in Europe.
Within a stones throw OF DIR. Dud-
ley's office in New York City a rep
resentatiye body of American chemists
was in convention during the grea or
part of last week Almost all of -
chemists are now occupied I'm research
work which may give results that will
be Of great consequence to the Unitec
States in this time of war, and of
equally great Importance when the
war is ended.
This convention Of American chem
lists attracted a very large number
of business men and leaders in in
dustries. who visited the halls in
which the sessions were held, and
demonstrations were made, not from
curiosity or as going to picture gal
lery or flower show, but inspired by
business reasons. The aggregate at
tendance during the week was ap-
proximately 1O0,O 900, and this remark
able increase in attendance over the
number OF visitors who were attract
ed by earlier conventions OF the
American chemists, OF itself makes
clear how widely recognized today
in the Importance OF the work the
chemists have already done and are
now undertaking.
There were hints of discoveries
which in the course of few years
will revolutionize our Industrial life
because the chemists have unveiled
some of the mysteries of the natural
forces so that it will be possible to
utilize them for the material benefit
of the world. Some of the chemists
confess that their imagination pic
lures for them wonderful triumphs
in the future.
DR.. Ellwood Hendrick, of Boston.
in a recent neutrality-suspicious.
in the Manufacturers P/ II. of Bal
timOre, reports that r. last three
ycars-these being years of the war
have been crowded days for Ameri-
can chemists, and on the whole their
triumphs have been wonderful. Among
these triumphs has been the revela-
tion made by the chemists of the
methods whereby American raw
products. nursed and coaxed by
chemistry, are now so utilized as to
make it certain that from this time
on and after the war the United
states will be Independent of the rest
of the world so far as dye-stuffs are
concerned.
The German chemists were masters
of The science and art of preparing
various commodities that were of avail
in curing the sick or in preventing
lilitFsN. " llGIl Nllt "dI bt5dlt anu
the British navy put an embargo upon
German exports, there followed an
alarming famine in the United States
OF these medical commodities. The
American chemists began researches,
pursued them with the infinite pa
tience, were not discouraged by many
failures. and at last it is possible to
announce that this country is to be
hereafter independent of Germany, so
far as pharmaceutical products are
concerned
The chemists are now perfecting
processes which reflect their re-
searches whereby there is soon TO he
great saving in coal. DIR. Hendricll
says that the economical use of fuels
is one of the first steps in applied
chemistry, and the men of rese arch
have shown how by burning powdered
coal in blasts of compressed air n
truly amazing heat is developed. This
not only secures economy but elimi-
mates smoke. There is only one fac
tor in this problem yet to be solved
That is due to the fact that the flame
is so intense. and the heat itself is
so concentrated, that boiler plates
cannot resist it. But it was said at
the chemical exposition last week that