The Washington herald., 1918-10-31
U. .S.-PRODUCED
POTASH VITAE.
Manufacture on Permanent
Basis Needed, Says
Holland.


ldustries Board must regard the de-
velopment and maintenance Of tn.
natrate and potash industries as OF
the highest importance. A few days
ago he was quoted as having saie
that remarkable results had bees
achieved in the way of mobiIixlns
and co-ordiDAtine the industries Of
the United States so that they
would be able TO meet the eYtraor-
dinary demands OF the government
This has been accomplished IN
year and half, and not even the
nne achievements perfected by ths
authorities in Great Britain and in
France with respect TO Industrial
work surpass the triumph under Mr..
Baruch whereby war Industries ar.
well mobilized and non-essentials
are for the most part relessteo 70
the day. when peace having come.
those Industries will be able. with
government aid. to resume their
normal activities
Among the industries which Mr.
Bsruch believes should be fostereH
by Congress are those which he
terms War Babies" for before We
entered into the war. the United
States was producing no nitrstes BY
artificial processes and scarcely any
potash.
Mr.. BarUch told tn. finance com
mittee OF the Senate that the potash
and nitrate industries must be en-
couraged not only on account OF
their war value but also because %
the Importance those Industries
I would
after peace comes. The encourage
ment which Mr.. Baruch hopes TO Sc
. cure from Congress will be obtained
II Congress eXempts these indus
b tries from a part Of all the taxes
which would otherwise be imposed.
England Finds FermuIns- -
Recently word has come from
p Great Britain that their men of
, science. working in cooperation
with capital, have discovered form
ulas which will enable Great Bri-
tain to secure from various raw
materials that are abundAn mt in Eng
, land, sufficient amounts Of potash to
make il unnecessary for England to
rely upon Germany after peace
comes for the potash that is needed
for fertilizing purposes
IL may be that the question OF
! cost which the working out Of these
= formulas entailed, is not as import
ant in Great Britain as Il is likely
to be in the United States.
One OF the highest authorities
upon the production and utilization
Of fertilizers, especially for the cot >
ton fields Of the South. said thf.
morning that there is no doubt that
L from various raw materials in the
United States large amounts OF
J. potash can by chemical formula be
obtained. There is no doubt that
= leaving the question Of cost out of
' consideration. the United States has
in various kinds OF raw material
potash in one form or another the
aggregate amount OF which. II thf.
material be fully utilized. will he
sufficient 20 make the United STATED
independent of!GermGny.
n Industry Expensive. =.
B.. But there Is the question OF oc~S
T Those who are familiar with IN. va
riOus developments OF the pot.sh
: industry in the United States con-
J; unue TO be doubtful about our ablI-
4 ity to secure potash in needed
n amounts at so low cost as TO
L make IL certain that we can be in
? dependent OF Germany. These su-
, thorities are inclined to think that
; Germany purposes after the war il
4 ended regaIning her potash markets
" even though she be compelled 20
7 place potash in the markets OF the
= world at a price which does not
!, equal the cost OF production and
= transportation.
y Already in Brazil Representatives
b.. or German manufacturing interests
d have begun a propaganda with I'm
d tent 70 reCapture as much as possi-
p bic OF the trade with Brazil which
: Germany lost when the war began.
This is to BE- accomplished by plRc-
,. ing in Brazilian markets various
:. commodities manufactured in GER
d many AZ price so low that cOrnpet-
ing nations cannot meet IL
}. Nitrogen Obtained PROM Air.
There is no doubt that the Unit
!, ed states can through vArtgus
/ plants now established. or heresf-
2 ter TO be established. obtain nitro
!. gen from the atmosphere in sufi 70
= cient amount 10 meet whatever de-
= maud may arise. But there seems
a to be serious doubt about the ahiI-
= ity TO secure nitrogen by artificial
, and chemical processes at so low q
, ! cost as to make the product Of
!, commercial value al least for peace
purposes. IL does not matter now
! what the cost is because the gov
ernment needs the nitrate for war
purposes. II sppsrs TO be Mr. Bs-
ruChs idea that the question OF
L. cost can be TO some extent an
? swered satisfactorily II Congress
il ICfrains from imposing taxes upon
n the young nitrate and potash In
II dustries War babies" industries
: as he calls them.
The leading manufacturers ~
fertilizers, at least 81 the kind
n which is largely used upon the cot
d ton plantations, are developing 20
p very high degree the phosphate In
I dustry. II the United States has
'e no potash deposits similar 90 those
= that Germany possesses. we have
almost ineNhaustible phosphates,
i, principally In the South. The chem
!. lists have worked out formulas
D whereby these phosphate deposits
4 may be so handled as TO yield am
II mcnis. phosphoric acid and potash.
y and as a result Of the work OF these
!" chemists very great quantities OF
fertilizers are now being nanufac-
tured.
Cotton stalks One Sosrce-
D. IT has sometimes been said that
d the men OF science have discovered
the methods by which every part
Of the cotton plant and especially
the by-products can be made OF