The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-27

to secure ample supplies of coal. The public has not been aware Of the dan
 ger that within a few weeks many in-
 dustries might be compelled to shut
 down for lack of coal If that were
 done thousands of workmen would
 have been thrown out of employment
 With the public acting in common
 purpose and with the government util-
 zing its almost unlimited power, it
 does seem as though the conditions
 which have created>~such great uncer-
 tainty in industry and business will
 be in a few weeks so changed that
 industrial leaders can look forward
 with some confidence to the conditions
 that can be established within a few
 months.
 WHAT THE WORLD SENT TO US
 Since the extraordinary figures which
 told the money value of our exports in
 the month of March and also the very
 high money value of our imports of that
 month were published much curiosity has
 been expressed respecting the report Tor
 the month of April. Were we going to
 maintain the unparalleled record male
 in March when our exports were of the
 money value of sS20 0o0,00o. For if we were
 who could say what methods were
 adopted by means of which, Europe espe-
 cially, would be able to pay for these
 exports.
 The April figures which have just
 been published apparently indicate that
 whatever the means adopted for the pay
 ment of the March exports were they have not been entirely continued in April. For the money value of our exports in April fell off s195,000,00o And yet the de- mand from Europe for American com
 modities has been insistent- Evidently this decrease in exports therefore WIS no art, 1,r tlA fn1 1fAr Nff in the demand for American commodities but by inability to make satisfactory ar engagements by means of which exports could be paid for.
 On the other hand, although the money value of the imports was less than that reported in March yet 1t is only $3O,OoO,0Oo less, the aggregate being little under 1 $500, 000,000. It is spoken of as favorabie circumstance that although our exports | fell off heavily our imports decreased only slightly for it is the unanimous ! opinion of those qualified to give good | judgment that the more rapidly imports approach the money value of our ex- ports the sooner will foreign exchange conditions become normal and business conditions also become healthful. NEW DIRECTOR OF MINES ! On the first of June Dr. Van H. Man ming, who has long been the director of | the bureau of mines, will be succeeded | by reason of his resignation by pr. Fred erick G. Cottrell. The new director or | the bureau is one of the men of science who is anxious to serve the public and not to reserve to himself all the gains
 which may come from patents obtainet from his discoveries. pr. Cottrell was the owner of very valuable patent issued | on account of his discoveries for utilizing escaping gases from smelters, but in- stead of retaining these patents he gave them to the Research Corporation with the understanding that all the net profits be devoted to scientific research. Dr. Cottrel will always be associated with the discovery of the methods for the re- covery of helium from natural gas and the great plant established at Petrolla, Tex, for the recovery of helium on a large scale for military aeronautics was due almost entirely to his efforts.