The New York herald., 1921-03-12
Nv RAYMOND SWING.

Special Correspondence to TIE NEW York
HERALD.
Copyright, 1921, by THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Berlin. Feb. "a
Should Mr.. Lloyd George, during
the London conference, announce that
Ieparations must be paid in cash and
that the sum had to be figured high
and as quickly as possible because of
sensational discoveries perfected by
German laboratories in the use of coal,
discoveries likely to revolutonize in
dustry and to restore Germany to her
former industrial position, a small
group of German chemists and coal
operators would understand quite
well what he had in mind. And they
might say that an allied conference,
instead of fixing levies by guesswork,
at last had the perspicacity to see
what might develop in Germany
thirty or forty years hence.
But Mr.. Lloyd George will not
make any such announcement a
government chooses economists, not
research chemists as experts, and
finds industrial science still too ro-
mantle to serve the hasty practically
Of politics. Besides, the great expert
mentation with coal Is not even now,
strictly speaking, out of the labora-
tory stage.
Coal to-day is both Germany's de-
spair and hope. Her Industries are
idle because of the shortage of fuel,
and vet in decade or two the world
may have an abundance of coal may
cat it. bathe with It, cure its i'll with
II, heat its dwellings and operate its
dynamos with IL. make 1t perform
untold services. and still not exhaust
the output.
Liquid Coal Problem Solved.
Unless the German laboratory tests
are delusions, the next era is. to be
one Of a wealth Of power and OF
chemical industry developed to a
dominating strength.
What the German chemists have
succeeded in doing is 10 solve the
problem of liquefying coal. That is.
they are ready 10 try making liquid
coal on n commercial basis.
a Frenchman. Berthelot, first lique-
fed coal almost seventy years ago.
He treated II with chemicals and
melted IL In sealed glass tubes at 275
degrees centigrade. 1t became crude
/ oil with 40 per cent. waste \ Rus
J sian, Ipatieff. improved the process
by using rare metals, ike nickel and
platinum, and employing gas instead
of chemicals, and by having the
process work under q pressure os 200
atmospheres.
In 1919 German Prof Bergius.
patented process for liquefying btu 7
minous coal, Ignite. peat and even
! wood. He succeeded in producing a
thin fluid with almost no waste,
fluid which can be refined to petro-
leum Of any desired grade. The proc |
ess requires temperature Of 400
degrees centigrade and is not expen.
slvc
Merely as source Of power, LIQUID |
coal might well set a coal hungry |
industrial nation on its feet or /
eight briquettcs burning under a
boiler six 20 up the chimney. What /,
II smokeless Ola fluid making no
ashes. costing no stoking ana Great I
Ing more heat with its steady blue 1
dame-were burning in place Of the
briquettes?
At work on Two Methods.
What IL Germany instead Of two. |
thirds, saved only one-half of the I
coal consumed to-day BY industry and |
railroads? The half could 20 20 the /
chemical works. and the success with \
dyestuffs could be duplicated with 4
margarine. sugar, starch, soap and Y
with innumerable Of the composites /
~ coal. And world trade might be
Increased IN articles costing mini
mum freight bill.
These are not conjectures or day
dreams, but the opinions OF the chem