New-York tribune., 1919-04-28
Germany To-day
The War of Muention
BY Samuel Crowther
Special Correspondent of The Tbue Returned Germany
Germany To-day

the bascr metals continue to be used in elec-
trical work. The German telephones to-day
are made without copper, but they do not
work in satisfactory manner, and long dis
tance communication is almost as unsatis-
factory rs in England!
The food substitutes are legion, but none
of them is Of commercial Importance, al
though it is very probable that for many
years to come German coffee will contain
but little coffee and German tobacco will
still consist largely of cherry leaves, bur
what goes into coffee and tobacco in most
countries will always be lay mystery.
l was shown one plating machine which
is highly regarded. The surface to be treated
IS cleaned with chemicals and then a thin
sheet of the plating metal is blown on with
little hand device that resembles hand
torch. 1t contains d small electric furnace
that reduces the metal to liquid and
through connection with tank of COM
pressed air the molten metal is sprayed onto
the surface BY this device gun metal, brass
and copper were put on iron or steel for
SUCH parts Of machines as it was thought
advisable, and the coated metal used instead
OF the solid gun metal brass copper The
device is portable and seems very con-
venient. 1t is expected to have very wide
use in the coating Of ships bottoms, tanks
and other large structures where the plates
cannot be plated before erection. In fact, it
is kind of metal paint
Another discovery was the making of a
metal which is as light and almost as strong
as aluminium by the treatment Of "electron"
(Which was discovered just before the war;
with chlorate of magnesium. This new metal
was used to a considerable extent in the air.
planes and Zeppelins after the supply of
aluminium gave out. At present it is ex-
pensive, but it too will undoubtedly be de-
veloped.
These indicate the general direction in
which chemistry and industry have coop
Grated to such large degree in Germany
under the pressure of the war and also show
something of the after-war trend. l have
talked with officers of the great works at
Ludwigshafen, Leverkusen and Hochst, and
they were not as confident of the future
OF their industry as are most of the COM
mercial Germans. The former two works are
in the French and the English occupied terri
tory respectively, and that may have affected
their views, but the general thought was that
the progress of English and American dye
manufacture, with the probability of high
protective duties, would rob Germany of one
of her great export trades and that it might
be necessary to run their plants largely in
the direction Of finding substances which
would reduce the German import. Without
England and the United States the German
dye industry cannot exist, for the German
mills at the best can take but a fraction of
the output.
The Motor Car Industry
The cheeriest place in all Germany, how
ever, is right across the Rhine from Lud-
wigshafen, and the big French searchights
on the far bank nightly sweep its buildings,
while the French guns could destroy its
whole plant within half an hour--the big
Benz motor car factory at Mannheim
The company had $500 employees when
the war began. They went as high as $500.
and to-day have $500. In spite of the small
increase in the working force they doubled
their production during the war and now
have the orders to go ahead at the increased
production rate, if only they can find the raw
material. And great is the demand for
motor cars for private use in Germany and
the surrounding countries that they have
also doubled their prices to the consumer
without having the cancellation of single
order. The double price more than COM
pensates for the increases made in wages
and goes far to getting in outside currency
value, the price when the mark was at or
near par in the financial world
The works made motor cars and lorries
during the war and also great number of
engines for arplanes, but they took on no
lines outside their regular work and thus
have nothing to remake or reconstruct They
managed somehow to obtain the proper oil
and betting, and their machinery Is not in
need of more than the usual amount of re-
pair and renewal. Their present intention
is not to go much beyond their former models
and not to attempt to compete on a price
basis They have some plans for the turn
ing out OF cheaper car to meet American
competition, but for at least the next two
years they will continue to make expensive
cars in large numbers, but with the emphasis
on the quality rather than the quantity, of
the production The Mercedes firm is follow
ing much the same plan as the Benz, and
neither expects to depart from it's former
methods Or to join any combinations. Each
is doing something in the way Of standardi-
zatlon of small parts, but neither has at
tempted and does not intend to attempt pro-
nr