Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-02
NITRATE STOCKS
WERE SEIZED
Reason Why Farmers Did Not
Get Fertilizer Voted BY
Congress

Washington, Dec. 26.-The reason WHY
the farmers of this country received only
662, IT'S tons of nitrate, instead of 100, 600
tons through the s10.0 900, 900 appropriation
made by Congress Is revealed by G. II.
Mcdowell, director OF the chemical diyi-
sion of the war Industrious board. The
remaining 1900 tons OF nitrate were COM
mandeeered by the war department when
the German drive became a menace last
spring. Military necessity heretofore kept
the details n secret. In telling them, Mr..
Mcdowell remarks that through the sac
rifce of the fertilizer ingredient the plant
ers contributed to the supply of explosives
on the French front and thus aided ma
terially in winning the war.
There will be plenty of nitrate for fer
tilizer for the spring planting of 1919,
for the importers, who we're required to
turn over their consignments to the war
department., were released from that obli-
cation Upon the signing of the armistice
and are now free to sci to fertilizers man.
ufacturers.
Mr.. Mcdowell gave out this statement
to-day:
'In the fall of 1917 the Congress appro-
priated $40, 900. 900 to be used by the agri-
cultural department in importing nitrate
of soda to be sold by them to the farmers
at cost. This was later made a revolving
fund. Under this the Var Industries
Board procured for the department of
agriculture some 100, 900 long tons Of nj
trate for shipment from Chile during the
winter and spring.
DIVERTED TO FRANCE
lowing to disturbed shipping conditions
In the early spring. 1t was Impossible
to bring in for February-March arrival
the tonnage expected, and with the needs
developed by the expected spring often
sive of the Germans it became necessary
to divert to France a large tonnage of nj
trate for manufacture of explosives in
that country and for further increasing
production Of explosives in this country
for use in France. This immediate need
made 1t impossible for the department of
agriculture to secure boats sufficient to
bring in the full 100. 900 tons, 80 that
&C. IT'S tons was actually imported in time
for use by the farmers for spring plant
ing.
lowing to military necessity, publicity
could not, of course, be given to the
reason of the non-arrival of the nitrate
sold to the farmers. and this inability to
ueiiNcI "ao liz SduSe u
teeling on the part OF the users Oh nitrate
Of soda. The military necessity was
III. oro,test ono and tho planters who
u,.ra rr.h,. to not tho citrate uere in
tbis UNIV cortrih,tiny n the s,nnlv Of
oxn,,s,yos IN Er,pco which ,,ter led IN
the winning of the war.
1.-The nitrate of soda situation in the
United States up until about August !
,y.s . serious ono and although every
oxr,os,Yo ona ohar,ioo, nIart voc Lent
srnn,iaa WITH suesniort citrate to main.
81, ell onor,.;on. -, on ,ir,a, th;s u,..
dono h, dr,u,ipy fro,, voyernment ar.
800, r,or,,., "a ,r,rsforrin. .tocLs
fron, for,;,i.or manrfocturers and other
ho,dars r. n,,nts uhere stocks were
aho,t .xh,rstod
..Or,nn - ~ .h,r,n 30 ,,tr,+a -
,,.s asanaa n,;so ~ .sr tha iunor,ars IN
d;,oontiruo saIos of nitrate 70 fartuizer
n.nufantvrar, othor thon for uoLiro
suInhrr,c ,c;d and after J,,v , oil con.
s,npmants ~, n,.rata arr,r;na u ,ha oo,n-
,rv so,d 70 sucb m,ruf,ctrrars wers
ononoa 30, H. ordronoa d.nart
mart and ,,,rr.d oyar N munitions ond
..a.a. m..ns..u Tn,.,o =.
80. H.. ,..,I. 80. u. ..
,,,o ;unor,or, ora ,ha far,;,,zar ,oon,, In
tho for 90 1o,7
ALL hhSlflCIloNs IAhEN ORR
Immediately on the signing of the
armistice all restrictions were taken Off
the importers as far as sales of nitrate
to fertilizer manufacturers and agricul-
tural users was concerned. so that there
will be no difficulty in supplying the en-
tire needs Of the United States for sg-
ricultural uses for spring planting.
Nitrate of soda is the foundation of