The Caucasian., 1919-02-23
INDUSTRY ROSE
TO NEEDS OF WAR
Great Britain Becomes Complete.
ly Independent of German
Products.
NOW MEETS ALL DEMANDS
Before the War Germany Had Control
Of Much Raw Material That Wac
vitaI-Finds Way to Sup
ply Potash.

ply Potash.
London.-A remarkable story OF
how British industries formerly de-
pendent for their life blood on Ger
many have under the stress OF wars
demands arisen to state Of complete
independence was told by Mr.. Kello-
way, parliamentary secretary to the
British ministry of munitions, at re.
cent meeting of the industrial recon-
structiOn council. Britain is now first
in the world in almost every sphere of
industrial effort, he said.
Beginning with raw materials. Mr..
Kelloway showed that mica. absolute
ly essential to the electrical industry,
was SO controlled by Germany, al
though half the worlds supply came
from India, that when the war began
che worlds market was on the point
of being transferred from London to
Ae exported only to London, ana the
British electrical industry mas taken
che place Germany once held and is
aew the first in che world
before che Wap the British eanpife
produced 40 per cent of the wolfram
ere fros which tungsten Essential fos
high speed steer ana in metallic fla
nentss is made, Out 50 successfully
Mad Germany captured the trade that
10 British manufactures was able 20
establish the industrs in this country.
Ts this position Germany OweA Aee
great superiority in munitions produce
tion in the earlier stages Of the war.
All that has been changed. Britain is
now able to produce all the nigh speed
steel she needs and % export az , Seae
sonable price to her allies.
eontroIIeA Australian line. :.
Australia has practically unlimited
supplies of zinc ore, but Germany OBJ
tanned control of them, and u per cent
of British pre-war supplies came from
Germany, Belgium and Holland, Ger
many being Britain's largest supplier.
But now Australia's output has been
diverted, permanently, he hoped, to
Great Britain.
Great Britain used to depend entire
" on Germany for potash, essential
for fertilizers, dyes, drugs and glass
$4,000 tons of potash was going to
waste here every year in the dust or
fumes from blast furnace gases. That
is now being collected. Germany had
relied on her practical monopoly in
Europe of natural deposits of potash
to enable her to bargain for the reeov-
cry of her world markets. She will j
disappointed. British enterprise and
judicious government assistance have
taken that power from her.
Machine tool production looked like
an almost insoluble problem at the be-
ginning Of the war, but SO greatly has
production increased that before long
the power Of the engine will be the
same as its weight in pounds, i. e.. one
pound per horsepower.
The BritjS!! position in 1914 in re
gard to the production Of magnetos
was very grave, Dpt, thanks to a dis
play of grit in the face of almost in
superable difficulties, of resource and
Of patriotism as fine in its way as that
shown by her fighting forces, the Brit
ish magnetic position has been estab-
Hshed and made unassailable.
Foreien-Made Gun Sights.
The war was nearly. lost because the
British were almost entirely dependent
on Germany and Austria for scientific
and optical glass, essential to success.
It is humiliating, Mr. Holloway con-
tinued, but it is the fact that at the
outbreak of war considerable part Of
our artillery was equipped with gun
sights exclusively manufactured in
Germany. Two British firms started
making sights, but the position was
of munitions was formed. Recently
these two firms were producing 250 a
week. The sight is beautiful and
delicate piece of work, and it's produc-
ton in such numbers and in a perfec-
ton which Germany never exceeded is
triumph for British skill.
Before the war the British optical |
and scientific instrument industry had |
degenerated into collection Of mid |
dlemen who mainly sold instruments |
completely manufactured in foreign |
countries. All that has been swept |
away by the bitter necessities of war, |
and Britain is now self-supporting.
Her dependence on Germany and |
Austria for the glass for her miners
scfety lamps very nearly landed her in
disaster. The position was so serious
shat the home office had to relax the t
conditions as to the quality and dimen-
sions Of lamps. Now Great Britain
IS producing sufficient supplies of the
right quality.
Before the var three out Of every
four electric light bulbs in use in Great |
Britain came from Germany or Aus
tria. She is now manufacturing suiii-
cient to meet her essential needs.