The L'Anse sentinel., 1924-03-07
Fostering of Infant Industry
Necessary to Maintain
Soil Fertility.

Washington. Effective action of the
federal government in i've years has
brought America from ignorance tt
prominence in the nitrogen tiXation IN
dustry." DR.. Harrison L. Howe, editor
of the official Journal of the American
Chemical society, declares in Il plea
Tor further development IN the interest
of the farmer and national prepared
ness. He asserts that the plan al
Muscle Shoals is an entire success
from the technical standpoint. The
fixed nitrogen research laboratory AT
Washington has been powerful slim
ulus to both large and small scale
operations. Ii is imperative, he says.
thar government activity continue be-
cause Muscle Shoals constitutes only
one part OF the nitrogen problem. Few
people recognize the far-si ightedness of
congress in assuring an adequate ma
tional supply of nitrogen, according TO
Doctor lowe, who adds:
Nitrogen is necessary TO maintain
the fertility of the soil. In many sec
tiDns of the country crops are depicting
the soil Of its nitrogen, and this is not
being replaced. In time OF war nitro
gen is an absolute necessity in the
manufacture of explosives. There are
three sources from which nitrogen is
oil tained-the natural deposits Of
ni:rates in Chile, by-products of coke
on ems, and the air.
An Infant Industry.
''The industry which is based upon
the recovery of nitrogen from the air
Is an infant industry in the United
States. The domestic demand for
nitrogen materials cannot be met by
the by-product of our coke ovens. The
supply from this source has remained
Almost constant over a period of years
in spite of an increasing demand for
nitrogen fertilizers. AT the present
time we are importing more than half
the nitrogen we use from far-away
Chile, and obtaining less than per
cent from the air which IS Immediately
around us.
Due to the national importance OF
an adequate supply of nitrogen, the
responsibility for fostering the infant
air nitrogen industry has rested with
the government. What has the gov
ernment done toward meeting this re.
sponsibility?
First, congress passed the National
Defense act in 1916 authorizing the
President TO make such investigation
as he deemed necessary to determin,
the best. cheapest and most availabl,
means of producing nitrates. On tn,
basis of the information thus obtaine,
the government built the nitrate
plants at Muscle Shoals and Sheffield
Ala. The fixed nitrogen researcl
laboratory now of the Department o
Agriculture was established at Wash
ington, u. c., TO determine the possibl
peace-time utilization Of the produc
from the Muscle Shoals plant In cas-
Il were operated; to supply such tech
nical information as would assure
successful operation of the Shefliel
plant. which information was not avail
able at the time of It's construction; {
Stuuy new uittuous VI IllTORen HAt
ton with the aim Of reducing the cos
of nitrogen in fertilizers; to suppl
the newly developed nitrogen industr
In the United States with the informs
tion which could be obtained only b
Intensive research and involving finaI
cial consideration beyond the scope {
individual concerns.
Commission Appointed.
"A commission was appointed throug
the Department of Commerce in ~.
20 ascertain the present economic 81
uation in the nitrogen industry. Co,
gress Is considering the peace-tin
utilization of the Muscle Shoals pro-
critics, as In evidenced by Its recel
debates and subsequent discussions.
"The results of these activities
the government have been erect,
and far-reaching. In the brief time
6ye years America han emerUed FRO