The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-11-09
By Charles ". Duke

BY Charles ". luxe
= German potash" Secretary Of the
Interior Lane announced laconically
a few days ago.
No more stunning blow has been
dealt German aspirations for a con-
tinuatton after the war Of monopolis.
tic control Of certain mineral products
"a monopoly she long has enjoyed
than this trenchant broadside Of eight
words touched off by Secretary Lane.
summarizing. as it does. the latest
achievements OF American science.
What it means, succinctly. is that the
United States, heretofore Virtually DE-
pendent upon German potash. has cast
off the yoke and shortly Will become
independent Of Hun deposits because
Of the development Of new sources or
supply IN this country.
Germany has thought all along.
and still thinks. no doubt" Secretary
me stated that she has whip
hand over America because OF heC sup
plv Of potash: but America can . two
wears become entirely independent OF
Germany In this regard by the develop
men. Of her own deposits and the use
of processes recently devised under
Goverpnent auspices"
Souare.headed Prussiapism thought
Colt had endowed Germany alone with
certain mineral deposits necessary 10
the enrichment of the soil that pro-
duces the food with which mankind IS
sustained. with its tremendous de-
posts Of potash Germany has a world
MONOPOLY" declared Wilhelm Ostrato'
privy councillor Of the German empire
only a year ago. 1T IS in Germanys
pover to dictate which OF the nations
shall have plenty Of food and which
shall, starvc. Germany is in the posi-
ton, often realized by Bismarck, to
handle the long arm Of tn, lever. The
cearth of potash. as we'll as the ever
Increasing results Of the U-boat war.
are working in Ger1nany's favor
Yesterday-and today! Just as Ger.
many's hopes for world domination
through militarism have been shat
tered by Marshal Foch's brilliant
strateSies and valiant armies. so Ger
many's concett that she would WELD
,,D-ays an economic big stick that
would insure her lasting place in the
sim has been shattered. For. from the
waters that wash upon our shores. the
air that floats above US and the earth
unon which we walk-the privileges
Of man and not the property OF divine
stngs-America has solved the potash
nroblen in such a way that she Will
he free forever from the yoke OF Pots
dam potash.
Increasing Food Production
Secretary Lanes declaration Of In
coincidence" sent the writer to the De
pnrtment Of the Interior in search OF
the real story Of the potash emancl
nation" Ard here is the way 1t de-
yelops, the alpha and omega OF tax
of rornauticism in industry and agricui
,,-e that cornprchends the very vita
issues over which the world war Is
being fought Before plunglng into
the story Of German ararice ana now
America was duped for long by the
eresdv iuperialists Of Hunland 1t Is
ue1l to refer generally to the uses o.
potash.
Potash is essential In the production
OF food and cotton and In the Hdnu
facture Of certain munitions or WAT
Tive Geological Survey and the Bureau
of Mines have shown that tho chle
uses are as follows: Nitrate for gun
powder, meat preserratires ana Ter
tlixcrs: carbonate for hard glass AM
soft soap; cyanide for extracting gov
and silver from their ores: sulphate 10
fertilizer. alum and hard glass: chic
rate for explosives and fireworks
chloride for fertilizer. and nanur
salts and kantte for fertilizer. Ever!
educated farmer has come to know
that while nitrates and phosphorlc aci
are necessary to bumper crops. potas
,v vital factor IN enrichinG the so
for big Yields. Potash Is necessary TO
o. wheat, potatoes. cotton. Nitrate o
sodium In fertilizer will make vegeta
tion green and urge cornstalKs |
.rornnous hcight--but it doesn't PR
dIce ears. 1t takes potash to Civ
stiffness to the plant cell. make tn
r,aze In wheat and prevent It frot
droDoing over and make the essentis
coil development Of fruits. grains an
vegetables.
Germany was one Of the first nj
lions to discover potash in large Qual
titles and the potency Of potash In ag'
culture. She discovered almost limitle
resources right under her own fee
Geolosists point out that somewhel
IN the dim past an arm Of the sea WI
separated into a huge evaporation pa
where for more than 1900 years Il
aim b,azed hard on the great salt lai
that now IS known as the StasSfu
potash region in Saxony. The b
pan" runs from the Harz Mountain
TO tho Elbe and from Magdehurg