Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-04-27
TRY TO FOOL COWS
! WITH SUBSTITUTES
Germans Compelled to Provide
Cattle Feed of Ground Wood
and Straw.
THREAD MADE OF TIMBER
Tea Brewcd of Apple Feelings
and Tobacco Obtained From
Chestnut Trees.
THREAD MADE OF TIMBER
by II. J. GREENWALL.

BERLIN, April 25.-Why German
|aeroplanc wings crumpled up and ma
|ehincs came tumbling out OF the clouds
|~hy people tainted in the streets
lowing to lack OF nutrition--onc reason
why Germany was bcaten--I learned
n an interview with Professor Wieden-
field. chief of Germany's crsatz tsub-
|Stitutes) service.
Professor .Wiedenfcld said that
when the blockade first began TO make
|itstt felt the Germans had to begin
TO uso substitutes in small quantities
|Tor important articles such AS ferro-
|manganesc. manufactured substl-
ute called speigei iron was crsatz for
ms comm ditN. Then began the lack
"t copper--Gcrmany only produced 10
Iron and steel became the national
osc replaced by zinc and aluminium
nc latter was manufactured before
ne war from clay imported from
rance. Chemical experts were also
Icalicd Oh 10 produce substitute for
|"ium!num. but unsucccssful!y
Substitute Excel. Real.
~, 6n i5" ,, Ma The neH, pssE5pieS!ty.
manufactured The professor de-
|rlarcd ,n,t X is better than the real
Ihrt!c!. iiubbe" was badly needed for
storage hHtt.ry cases In submarines.
aiid the Gcr'uuus mad, synthetic rub
h"r from chemicals treated wood.
When tAvru was no more nickel.
.
niI'c >ielcl steel Was replaced by
r,tngon"sc s.rel Then The question
|et su!ppr 'ormerly imported from
Hdn 'iacturgrr and again the profcs-
On nh y, c%pcTi chemists vas
"aN'! INT" action. and crsatz sulphur
1h.cnJ Made Of Wood.
TcMtle EXPERTS wcr" called in to op-
rat" pu wood ana canIpNOr. The frs 4.
'rsatE t">'l.cs Ncre made from pan :
Wood was changed into paper. the 30
~" pIper MO thread and lastly the
bread ."to material
Paper 'hrcad ;hc professor said.
made sod substitute ior jutc. but
now wood pulp WAS mad. direct into
thread, which WAS woven INTO undo: p
garments; II is fairly good FOR, The
work IN damp rooms while wearing
ersaiz undcrc!othing The, garments
thus made can be washed If warm
Ersatz underciothing has been worn
ny the professor servants for more
ierIal has been used for technical pur-
poses as VOL As for household use.
%ueh a., curtains ia2!eGloihs and the
were granted IN exchange. The cr-
,llns were torn ur and rewoven into
more Uscfu. Articles.
Found Nrt,Ir> Useful.
Pine cones and rushes wore also
used by INC textile manufacturers. and
1uettlcs We're found TO 40 c%collcnt bo :
cause they produced material a soi;
as wool The people were ordered 20
grow ncttIcs, but whcu food began to
Gal! shor; IN" ground was required Tor
growing ioodstuifs. Nevertheless. for
more than Two years the Germans
grew both their food and clothes
When the suffering became more
acute eysm ar;i;cis w99 WAS tori, 81,
and ovcrcoats during the last two
years OF The war contained two and a
half pounds Of real wool and the rest
OF the material was a subs ,itute.
Leather was the mos; difficult ar
ticlc TO replace. The Germans tried to
produce substitutes from paper and
wood. but the resultant products were
not quite successful and "a the same
time very expensive.
F0olinS tho Cattle.
Food for cattle was made from wood
and siraw G gTound s to pow de and
los, weight rapidly on this diet, and
there was no nourishment in their
meat.
Tea was made from apple Feelings
and tho, leaves of trees; tobacco was
leaves. The tobacco was first tersatz)
cousin TO the coffee, which was manu-
featured from acorns. Cigars had to
contain y per cent OF rca! tobacco,
otherwise they we're not allowed 10 be
have only touched on a few OF the
.nhnite quantities of substitutes made
and used BY the Germans. For four
months I have been living on ersatz
odstuns. and the effects of it are
petiZinC enough. but they nearly all
have their founda ton in coal tar.
Germany tried 10 fight nature and the
allies. but il never pays TO comba t