The Washington herald., 1921-10-11

II the dye industry was TO be
considered alone i'm its relation to
the cost OF dyes of consumers of
all manufactured articles, the prob
lem of protecting the industry
would be fairly simple. The max
ing of dyes, however, 10 only one
important phase Of the chemical
industry in which Germany held the
lead until the war. Protection for
the manufacturers OF dyes should
not be considered primarily as pro-
lection for that industry alone. but
as a step in the encouragement of
all related chemical Industries.
many of these are just as import
ant to the public. though the pro-
duction is of smaller value. than
the dye industry.
Through it's action in extending
the, dye embargo to November 81,
Congress has merely postponed the
settlement of the question. This
bill was passed with the support Of
several Senators who favored the
embargo plan only as temporary
expedient. They declared for pro-
lection in the form of Q tariff to
replace the embargo a. soon as
general tariff matters can be sug-
gested. The charges that an Amer
ican dye monopoly existed or would
soon be developed. has divided Con-
gress on the question of the tariff
and the issue promises to be
fierceIy fought in weeks to come.
The development of our dye in
dustry since 1914 is estimated to
be from about s4.6Oo.ooo worth Of
product to something over s63,000.-
900 in 1920. Before the war most
of our dyes were imported from
Germany, and our annual exports
amounted to less than 100000 in
value: BY 1920 the industry had
grown until exports amounted to
nearly S26.000,000.
The census shows that during
the period 1914 to 1919 the natural
dyestuffs and extracts business in
creased 162 per cent in value of
products or from $2l. l.30O,O 900 to over
S57. 100000. There were liz estab-
lishments in 1914 and 145 in 1919
The census summary for the gem
eral group of chemical industries
shows that during the five-year
period the number of these estab-
lishments increased from ass to 5S7
The value Of products increased
from t15s.oo0.0oo in 1914 to s432,-
500, 600 in 1919. The growth Of this
industry was particularly facilitat-
ed by the development under Amer
ican arrangement Of dye and chem
ical industries previously owned b.,
German corporations and many of
these were the Key to the manufac-
ture of important Industrial chem
icals, drugs. explosives and poison
gases. 1t Is impossible to estimate
accurately the importance of these
| Industries in relation to our manu-
features, but before the war we
consumed about s25.o0o.oo0 worth
of dyes per year which were utiliz-
ed in merchandise worth more than
$4,000. 100000. The use of other
chemicals closely related to dyes
as well as drugs will probably in
crease this total by at least an
equal sum.
| The Germans preserved their
chemical industry and actually i'm
proved II during the war since the y,
| depended in a large measure upon
the discoveries and improvements
to be made by their chemists for
their hope of final victory The re-
suit is that Germany Is in a posi- =
tfon to again control the dye indus
try II permitted to do so. This has
| been anticipated in the leading
countries, however. by the enacting
of government embargoes and in
the United States. England. France,
and some other countries domestic
dye manufactures have been pro-
| tected