Evening journal., 1919-01-23
GERMANY beaten
IN PEACE, too
Her Dyestuff Industry is
Broken by the du Pont
Company
MUNITIONS OF WAR TO
MUNITIONS OF PEACE

History viii record >ss one Of The
greatest achievements in the chemlca
Industry of the United States during th'
war the building Of three great plants
Hopewell, Nashville and DeepWater
While two OF them played major par
In bringing the war to q successful
ending. the third, in q less spectacular
fashion. but IN the face Of even greater
difficulties, laid the foundation for de.
velopment that guarantees that in the
commercial war that unquestionably
viii follow, Germany's chief weapon
her dyesiuff industry-WiA be broken.
Nothing illustrates better than th'
development Of these three plants, the
close relation between the making Of
explosives and the manufacture Of Goa
tar dyestuff and the dependence Of one
upon the other. Now that the war Is
over their story may be told.
II goes without saying that at the
beeinning Of the war the first greai
need OF the Allies war for explosives
The total capacity Of all the plants OF
The dupont company, 100000 pounds
of smokeless powder a month-through
large when Judged by previous stand
ards. was Insignificant IN the light OF
the requirements Of modern warfare.
There was no time for delay. With
out explosives quickly and In ever in
creasing quantities the Allies faced an
uihllation Hopewell, Va, built by the
engineers Of the dupont oompiny IN
record-breaking time, filled the gap and
Is officially credited with having saved
the cause of the Allies. The demands
npon the company increased until they
aggregated 440,0O0000 pounds Of smoke
less powder a year and every one OF
these demands were met
When the United States entered the
war the existing facilities were en-
lirely engdged In taking care of the
needs Of the Allies and were utterly in
SUFFICIENT for the requirements Of our
own rapidly growing army and navy.
Increased capacity was needed and need
I'd quickly. In March, 1915 the Nash
Vile. Tenn, plant was started. Five
months later it was in operation-the
most wonderful achievement ever~per-
formed In the history Of powder
making
Built by the dupont company at a
cost Of ss0.000.000OO0, without a cents
worth Of profit, Nashville is today the
greatest smokeless powder plant in the
world II Is seventy times as large ps
the largest smokeless powder plant In
the country before the war, with a ca
pacity Of 100000 pounds Of smokeless
poVder a day. Twenty-Five Thousand
men were employed In the construction
of this enormous plant, which con
sumes daily 100000 pounds Of nitrate
of soda, 615,000 pounds Of sulphur
4.500 tons Of coal and 100000 gallon
of water.
The third great plant built by tn
dupont company during the war Is tn
dyestuff works at Deepwater Point
New Jersey. The causes which led q
its building are now too well known O
be more than touched upon here. When
in 1915, imports Of German dye
abruptly stopped, the various dyestuf
consuming industries, aggregating 81.
100000. invested capital, faced crisis
which IS well remembered by every
one. The situation, with disaster loom
ing ahead, was I'm reality a blessing In
disguise for it brought home TO manu-
facturers and consumers with striking
force. the realization that II America
was to be other than a vassal Of Ger
many commercially, she must achieve
independence In the dyestuffs industry.
The dupont company had never be
fore been in this particular branch of
the chemical industry, but II was felt
there was a sound foundation upon
which 20 establish the new industry. II
had first. the necessary chemical engi-
neering. organization. It is not generally
known but the dupont company, during
the war. had IN Its employ, over t2ll
graduate chemists OF about 10 per cent
Of the total number in this country
Secondly. the dupont company has &C
cess to the necessary raw materials
derived as by-products Of the cokinl
industry, which were utilized in largl
amounts IN the making Of military higl
explosives. Thirdly, &c had eXceptiona
plant and laboratory facilities.
ON July T. 1917, preliminary prepara
tions were completed and the construc
lion OF the plant at Deepwater was be
Gun. The building Of this great plan
in the face Of almost insuperable oh
stacles. is an achievement Of whic
every American can well be proud Wha
'{he difficulties were will never b
known. Suffice It TO say that as the prin
cipal reliance, both Of this country an
our Allies, for explosives, the first air
Of the dupont company, was TO max
munitions OF war. The manufacture @
dyestuffs was Of necessity, relegated I
second place. In the supplying Of mer
equipment and raw materials, Nashvill
and Hopewell took precedence owe
Deepwater.
Nevertheless, the dyestuffs develop
ment of the company went on slowl,
but surely Within ten months ther
was erected an indigo plant at Deep
water, capable Of supplying the entirl
needs Of the United States and Canada
and it was producing synthetic indigo
equal in quality to the best formerly
imported. other colors have been pro
duced SO FAR as has been possible, with
the crudes and intermediates available
With the ending Of the war the stu
alton, so far as the dupont company Is
concerned. Is radically changed The
entre resources Of the company-men,
capital and manufacturing facilities
ean now be devoted to the manufac-
eerS OF munitions Of peace The release
- .aDor from munition plants hifher-
70 unaNaiiable supplies az cr,,,lo- -
Intermediates. the possibilit,, - lll' ~
ine men Trained In the CLOSELY a1,t.s
explosives industry and "a aiiieo
neeued extensions in plant ssasis.ils sssaills
mean, from now on, rapid deveio,,,.'le-s ,,,.sl les
IN the DUPONT dyestufis indnsiT,, p''ion'