Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-27
ARTIFICIAL SILK
INDUSTRY BOOMING
Babson Reports New Product
Gaining Strong Hold.
Strides Since War.
BY ROGER w. BABsON.


WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass, Decem-
Der 27.-The news that premiums are
being offered for deliveries of arti-
fetal silk while the rest of the textile
industry Is Just emerging from one
Of the worst depressions in it's his
tory Is interesting and may be sig
nificant.
Although tho process for making
artificial silk has been known for 20
years. the industry has not developed
to any extent until the postwar
period. Some 100000 pounds of arti-
fetal silk was made in the United
States during 1920. Production last
year reached s5.2so.ooo pounds ana
this year will doubtless show an even
greater increase. American produc-
ton last year equaled two-thirds as
much as the real silk imported, while
world production of artificial silk to-
tailed as much as real silk produced.
Growth Proves Amazing.
What was regarded four years ago
as an infant industry In this country
must today be looked upon as a
lusty infant whose growth amazes
even it's parents. The baby industry
grew so fast, in fact, that the textile
even have time to name 1t. The first
name, "glos," did not seem to suit
and while the second. artificial silk"
has been used more generally than
any other, 1t Is not a correct classifi-
cation. The new fabric is no more
artificial silk than It is artificial cot
ton. 1t is a distinct textile made of
cellulose.
Some Of II is manufactured from
cotton base by the nitro-cellulose
process. A cheaper grade is made
from wood fiber by the viscose
process. Manufacturers and dealers
have now named II ''rayon' and it is
hoped that 1t will soon be known and
called by this, its own name.
New Product Popular.
Having somewhat the luster of
real silk. the new product is being
used to lend decorative effect to other
fabrics. Lacking the necessary
strength to he used alone for most
sorts OF clothing. 1t is being mixed
with cotton and wool or combined
with these fabrics when tensil
strength is not needed. The question
as to its effect on other textiles nat
urally arises. It seems to compete
most directly with silk. but when its
actual uses are analysed, it is seen
that it Is employed where real silk
would be too expensive anyway.
The two materials really have dis
tinctiye fields. There will always be
demand for real silk with its
greater tensil strength and other
qualities which have not been repro
duccd in newer products. Rayon
tends to supplement the silk industry
rather than compete with It. OF
course, there is direct competition in
some instances, but It is not any
where near as serious as superficial
consideration might suggest.
Production at Low Cost.
The cotton and wooden interests
have watched this new development
and have been trying to find out just
how II will affect them. Rayon is be-
ing produced in certain European
countries, notably Italy, at a very
low cost, so low in fact as to compete
directly with some grades of English
cotton yarns so far as price Is con-
cerned. The italian product is made
largely from wood pulp by the els
cose process. Water power is plenti-
full in Italy and abundant cheap la
Dor has enabled them to get their
costs down to minimum.
AS processes are further perfected
and costs as reduced it is possible
that rayon may come into direct
competition with cotton for certain
purposes as far as Europe is con-
CeTneO- MOST manufacturers OF cot
ton, however. have benefited so far
by the introduction and popularity
of the new product. They have in
corporated rayon with cotton to get
designs and effects heretofore i'm
possible or impractical.
Entirely New Product.
In real sense the added beauty
gained by combining rayon with cot
ton have acted as a stimulous to the
demand for certain types of cotton
goods.
Rayon, then, is neither an imitation
of silk nor substitute for cotton.
II is an entirely new product con-
tributed by science 10 the textile in
dustry. 1t is relatively free from
price fuctuation and promises to add
materially to the variety obtainable
in textiles.
AS an industry, rayon is enjoying a
growth hardly surpassed by any
other industry in the present decade.