The sun., 1919-09-17
GERMANS AGAIN AIM
AT DYE TRADE HERE
U. s. Merchants Get Word
That Tariffs and Restric-
tions Will Be Overcome.
EFFICIENCY RELIED UPON
Infant Industries on This Side
Favored by Teutons'
Lack Of Fuel.

Notwithstanding the strides made in
the manufacture of dyes in the United
States during and since the war Ger
many hopes to recapture that business
and Is making strenuous efforts to that
end. Circulars and correspondence re-
ceived by merchants in this country, be-
side statements in the German news
and technical papers. indicate that the
German dye manufacturers expect a de-
crease in their exports for a time
40 per cent less than before the war
although they do not think it will last
long.
Restrictions in the way of tariffs and
other obstacles, they say, will be over
come, and they point to the recent ap-
peal of the United States to get quickly
cargo of dyes that had been held up
for a long time on the other side. They
take the attitude that the United States,
which has made more progress In the
manufacture Of dyes than either Eng
land or France since the war started,
has to come to them and that the same
will apply to the other countries of
of the world.
The German chemical industry relies
with confidence upon the value OF that
vast experience 1t has accumulated. 1t
Is admitted that a fairly formidable
competition may spring UP in th0 whole
sale production Of the more simple dye
stufrs. but they cherish the hope that
this will hardly take place In the COM
plicated ones, which always have been
strong points Of the German manufac-
turers.
No Immediate PROFITS Seen.
Chances for making profits for some
time to come have been almost de-
| stroyed in the German dye industry, but
the manufacturers take the view that
they will have to get their plants in
running order and maybe even suffer
| losses to reach the point they occupied
previous to the breaking out of hostili-
| ties. Heavy fresh expenditures are
faced in the German plants because of
the problems that resulted from the
| sudden stopping of the war after large
sums had been expended in putting the
factories into shape for war work, with
| the extensions that were necessary. Ger
many's chemical industry became vir-
| tually a war industry. and now 1t has
/ to be almost reconstructed.
Word has reached this side that in
| addition to the resumption of the manu-
facture of dyes on large scale the
| chemical plants will pay much attention
| to turning out pharmaceutical products.
| the manufacture OF which continued
during the war.
One feature that will be a help to the
infant industries" in the dye line in
| the United States and other countries is
that the stocks in Germany ran low,
making replenishment the first work.
| Much faith is put by Germans in the be-
lief that amounts on hand in other coun-
| tries also are small and that the new
producers will be unable to turn out
enough to satisfy the demand The high
| quality of the German chemicals is
looked upon, too. as an important help.
| A difficult problem with the Germans
| Is the coal supply. Some OF the large
chemical plants have obtained Ignite
beds In order to be Independent in the
matter of fuel, but this seemingly big
advantage is Offset to a large extent by
tn scarcity of rolling stock for trans
portation
The labor question gave the German
manufacturers much concern, as during
| the war many more workers were put on
duty. This has been met partly by the
| introduction of the eight hour system.
With the shorter hours and the higher
wages that now prevail the Germans are
not able to turn out chemicals and dyes
! at the low prices at which they could
produce them before the war.
Despite the fact that the large extern
| sions made during the war to the dye
manufacturing establishments in Ger
many tended to eat up the profits made
on war orders. and that many of these
extensions have to be abandoned. for
the time being at least. the German in
dustry is being looked at by its hackers
in a cheerful manner. They are optimis-
nc, and many freely predict conditions
almost like these before the war before
q long time.