The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-10
MANY USES OF
 COTTON FIRE
By HOLLAND

Hunsicker. vice president of one of the largest American industries, an industry which is dependent for its raw material
 upon cotton, said this morning that the public little realizes how great and di- versfied are the uses to which cotton 'fiores is now put, especially in some of
 the commodities which are needed for
 war service. MT. Hunsicker said that in his own industry 53 varieties of woven cotton are employed, and some of them so advantagecusly used as to furnish the
 government with the best kind of gas masks and also aviators coats.
 Sometimes there have been insinua-
 tons that those who are now framing the new war tax are disposed to be in dulgent to cotton, but the fact remains
 mat there is probably no other mate
 rial which is of greater importance :o
 the government at this time than cotton fibre.
 onl! few years ago the public re. salueo cotton as something whose ex-
 use was In weaving fabrics for clotnlng or for household commodities ouch, III fact, was it's use until the men or science discovered that cotton fibre could De converted into many yaIua ble materials which would take the place of other and more expensive materials.
 Recently H. J. Broughton, who is asso- clated with the E. I. Observation-Disclosures a Co.. stated that since we entered into the war It has been claimed that the winning or the war depends upon various commodities For instance, food. has been spoken of as a funda mental necessity, so again shipbuilding has been thus referred to; while at all times MT. broughton says men and money are ut most in the minds of the people as a winning factor. Curiously enough. very rarely has reference been made to cot ton, and the most important service which the cotton planters of the south are now performing in aid of, the war MT. Broughton says that the part which cotton is now playing in the war is an industrial romance ''of gigantic propor- tions-"
 oometlme ago group of expert chem lsts undertook to make investigation into the value of the cotton fibre properly treated for industrial purposes They nave made many discoveries. It is not the least remarkable of the many very remarkable industrial and scientific tri- umps which We have gained since the Fun opean war began that were cotton to De withdrawn from the field of chemistry today many essential industries would be paralyzed. The public has not been in formed of the extent to which cotton fibre is utilized in making buckets, pans, car wheels, boxes, blankets and beds. There is a short cotton fibre or fuzz which clings to the seed after ginning and this formerly was regarded as waste product which was a good deal of nuisance. Now the chemists have shown how this fibre can be utilized so as to form in combination with va rious acids making possible the produc- ton Of gun cotton; collodian cotton and pyroxylin. Gun cotton became of great value after men of science had found that 1t could be made into colloid or gelatinized. Then under proper treat ment 1t constitutes the most important of tho military powders of this time When it is not confined, it burns slowly
 Again the chemists discovered that sol- uble cotton, if formula which is now established be followed, makes a perfect imitation of natural ivory. It has al- ready been introduced into gas masks
 MAKING IMITATION LEATHER
 There is now pending at Washington ! claim for patent for a process by means of which leather can be properly tanned in a few days and without the use or tannin. The formula has been out by a man of science and it may be of great value after the patent has beer granted and manufacture be- gins. But already cotton fibre is being 30 utilized as to provide a substitute for
 leather. the commercial name of which Is fabricoid. This artificial leather pos- sesses 2 tensile strength much greater than any split leather and when it is coated with dissolved nitro-cotton 1t fur nishes what many regard as excellent substitute for leather. MT. Broughton says that the making of this product is another step in our industrial evolution where mechanical and chemical science has taken up the manufacture of a sub- stitute or artificial product where for rlerly only the natural material, such as hides, was known. Leather substitutes are now being employed in the manufac- .ure of automobile tops and the estimate
 Is that in this industry alone, Of which the cotton fibre is the basis, &,UOo,0oO yards of leather substitutes were used asst year. So also hat swA9ts are now made from artificial leather almost ex- ,lltsiY ely. if being estimated that almost