New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-21

ADAPTATION or the plants, material and
trained personnel to gas manufacture
would require a few hours only.
Plants, material and trained personnel
are requisites Of such peace enter
prises as, under the treaty (and, as
have said, through American in
fuence), she is at perfect liberty in
dustriously to pursue"
Dr. Herty paused.
what was the reason for Americas
objection to treaty requirements of
chemical disarmament on the part of
Germany" 1 asked.
II don't know" he answered. "The
chief nations of the Allies have done
what they could to protect themselves
against the consequences of the Amer-
can error. In other words, they have
provided against the disbursement
by German competition of similar
plants within their boundaries. Great
Britain, France and Italy have re-
stricted the importation of dyes and
other coaltar chemicals in order to
encourage the development Of their
own similar industries in the interests
Of future defense.
"Under the influence of the complete
blockade Of German coal-tar products,
while the ports Of Germany were
closed by the British navy, our own
dye works developed until this coun-
try is in fair way to chemical in
dependence of the Germans.
What Are We Doing?
Le~s Than Nothing
But what are we doing to in
sure that this growth Of chemical in
dependence shall proceed until it is
complete?
"OnIy a few weeks ago most
peculiar combination of low tariff
Democrats and high tariff Republicans.
led by Congressman from Wisconsin
Who favored the McLemore resolution
torblddlng American citizens to travel
on ships carrying munitions, and who
voted against the draft bill and against
war with Germany. defeated that nor
ton OF proposed bill which would
have made US independent and would
have stopped importation from abroad
OF coal tar chemicals now made in this
country IN adequate quantity of good
quality and at reasonable prices.
"Unless the Senate changes This
House bill as sent to it our country
presently will stand again, so far as
the most important activities necessary
to modern war preparations are con-
cerned, exactly as she stood before the
great war started with us. We shall
hnd ourselves in the position OF a
tighter with hands tied behind his back.
This would deliver two mortal blows
to the cause Of the worlds peace.
First, it would preserve intact Ger
many's chemical industry, and, second,
1t would be responsible for such a
flood of chemical imports into the
United States as would drive out of
the chemical business all those Amerj-
cans who have given their capital and
energy to building up home chemical
industry which, if developed, would
make us secure in time of war.
''lf among the readers of this inter
view there be those who hold that in
time Of peace the discussion of war
problems is improper, militaristic and
therefore destructive of international
peace prospects, | call their attention
to two recent utterances of very emf
nent men as reported in the news
papers.
AT Williamstown, Mass, Lord Bryce,
most eminent Of Englishmen. in a lee
ture showed how the Treaty of Yer
sallles sowed the seeds of war, and on
the same day, elsewhere, General Per-
shing, addressing citizens at the Canp
Meade military training camp, de-
clared:
We must not drift back into our
pre-war attitude Of unpreparedness.'
which was a statement to be regarded
supplementary to one made in a letter
to Congressman Longworth July 10.
1921, in which he said:
WIN regard TO the protection Of
the dye industries of the United States
it can be stated that coal tar products,
of which dyes are the most important
at present IN peace, are the base of
practically all our high explosives and
most of our war gases. Our shortage
of chemical plants in general, and of
dye plants in particular nrior - tbo
World War made it difficult for us to
obtain supply Of high explosives and
gases until the war had been on for
several months. The Importance of the
chemical industry, from military
standpoint, should be readily seem
in the light of such statements it
would seem that he who minimixes
the Importance Of preserving for this