The Washington herald., 1918-10-11
u. S. ENLARGES
DYE INDUSTRY
Allies Become Independent
Of Germany for Coal Tar
Color Effects.

! NV AiOhes NdAue OF our exports for
dye stuns in the year 1871 was a lit
tie more than 100000. And yet be-
fore the European war began tn.
money value Of our imports Of dye
stuf1s was in excess Of this figure.
because We relied almost entirely
upon Germany for this commodity.
The wonderful celerity with which
American chemists have worked out
lormulas whereby dye stuffs may be
inanulactured in the United States
from raw material, part OF II for
merly considered as waste pro5pct.
Is spoken Of as not the least Of the
many remarkable developments in
the United States Industrial ne
which have been occssioned by the
war.
Germany was not the inventor or
olscoverer OF the method by which
dye stuhs could be obtained from,
coal tar. That discovery was made
by Perktn, a London lad, not then
~ years Of age, who was sbIe tn
obtain a beautiful mauve color bv
MS application Of chemistry To coaI
tar. England neglected the oppor-
tunlty to create a great dive srur,
INDUSTRY which the discovery OF Per-
Kin made possible. The German
chemists took il up and one OF tbs
most fascinating OF all the nara
uves that tell Of research worI, in
laboratories and the utilization oy
ulat WORK IN the manufacture OF
eOiIlnlooltles .NIl OF value 10 the indus
mes Is contained In the story OF the
herman chemists, treatment Of coal
TAR and other substances vbsrshy-
N a 80 -
colors OF the rainbow and many
colors hardly recognizable b,. ~.
eye, such. for instance. as the s,r.r,
rug makers Of India by crude proc-
esses obtain for the dye material
winch they weave into rugs. Nov, n
y DelleNed that with proper legfsIs-
i've Acuon the American dye stU--
LnoustEy, Que 10 the researchss OF N,
Cneinists and the utilization OF Rrest
SApital such, for instance. a. ~,
Du Fonts employed for the de,s1e-.
tnent OF dye stuff Industry viii =.
main Independent OF GermsDy -
aye stuns and Will furtberT,or. -,
aoie 10 export commodities og rht,
ekeisnd Meets ChemIst,,
Ut. Leo Hondrick Baekelsn5 who
ehoS the war. has been in the sey-,-ic,
" the government and since lslE 4,
ieIOeF TIeF OF the Naval CoDsul,y,,
Dou' Illustrates in his career tbe
sIONth OF The American chemical a.,
ana particularly the dy. ,f1y-
uy- Some Of the results OF NJ
baebeland's researches were erno.so
70 the view Of the American cber,,.,. .
az their recent meeting in fri. .T,y
Is probable that the Fovernn,sr,
could not have secured perfect -,
masks which II has at last ohtsy1s5
mao II not been for some OF the eNrIie,
researches Of DR.. BaekeIsnd
What the American chemists ara So.
ing with cotton fibre Is one ~ -,
best illustrations OF the achievement.
or these men OF science. Tbev nav.
perfected formulas by means OF which
cotton hbre is now utilized for many
Domestic and industrial purpose,
which formerly Il would have beer
thoueht impossible for cotton Hbre ~
serve. Already there are fifty-tbres
oinerent wesves OF cotton some q,
which are the result OF research work
ana experiments made by the chem
Germany Closed Door.
-Four years ago the GerD,,r
market was closed 10 ArDarfcs !
manufacturers and for q while a
GOOD deal Of anxiety and som. de-
spalr prevailed In some Of the AD,sr-
lean Industries. That was nartfcu.
larly true with respect 10 potssb
American chemists and men a.
science began investigation for tI.
purpose OF discovering IL posSfbl.
Nhat sourses OF potash exist in tn.
United States. Their work has hesr
wonderfully successful. Last Yea,
the aVaila ble potash supply for III.
United States was $4,000 tons apr
every pound OF il came from IN.
utilization Of American resourr.,
winch In the past have beer
neglected. In 1918 the chances a..
that more than 20, 900 tons OF notssl
VIII De manufactured in the United
states out OF material much o,
which until the chemists demon.
strsted its availability WAS regs I'd
eo as waste products. The cemeD,
manufacturers are beginning =,
uuIlze the powder or dust ySbIrl
toIiows the manufacture OF cenen,
ana II is probable that with Kov.
ernment aid a very large recovery
obtained ''
This discovery was due 10 the rs.
sources OF American chemists but -.
search OF this kind would not hsvs
oeeh thousht Of had the German not.
h supply not been cut on. Tn.
chemists and the men OF science Re-.
40" demonstrated that a considers b.
per cent Of potash may be secured
from the waste products OF bias
furnaces. Probably there is no labor.
atory IN the United States where re-
search work by American chemists i,
noI now IN progress. the intent A
Ihis tme being TO make discovery and
industrial application OF these dis
coNeries which will be Of service :,
the government during the war sns
aiso OF highly industrial service whrrr
the days Of peace come.
Electro-chemistry is certain Z,
open up and in fact has slresd,
opened up a new era in the Anne
lean industrial DEVELOPMENT Tbi.
new science is sure to be great,
Facilitated when the government >,
acts as to make IL possible =,
develop much OF the water power,
OF the United States now going I,
waste. For when DEVELOPMENT q
that kind comes an enormous out
put OF cheap electric energy Great
ed by the energy OF water will b,
furnished to American Industry
There will also be opportunity I,
create electric energy which vii
give the equivalent 70 1000 degree
Of heat and this will serve a y.r,
Important service in developing new
American industries.