Evening star., 1926-12-01
GERMANY REEVES
DYESTUFFS TRADE
Strenuous Efforts Made to
Regain Place Lost Dur.
ing War.
Correspondence of The Star and New forl
World

World
RERLI\. November 15.--Dyestuffs
are again beginning to cast their
colorful romance on Germany's newly
awakening motley markets both III
Europe and III the Orient. IL spite OF
her heavy reparation payments.
shaken confidence in world rnaftS as
a result of the war, sort of dearth
of raw material, part OF which came
from her now lost colonies. the Ger
man dyestuff industry is valiantly
forging ahead.
Until the World War Germany was
supreme in this line Of industrial
activity. Fully 75 per cent Of the
worlds coloring matter was supplied
by Germany, her best customers being
China, the United States, Great Bri
tain and France. In 1913 the value
Of these exports reached the enormous
amount Of sos 900 600 gold marks. Her
dyestuff factories were busily hum
ming away in the United States, Eng
land. France and Switzerland while
her merchant marine did the trans
porting.
Today she is just what the Inter
essen Gemeinschaft F'arbenindustrie,
or simply the I. g., can make her in
the international dyestuff trade. The
recovery bids fair to recapture most
of the Reich's former markets abroad.
AS matter Of fact, the I. G.. is
expanding in other directions. develop
ing other chemical products and
new department is being devoted to
the manufacture Of the all-important
rayon.
Japan Center Planned.
The worlds estimated consumption
of dyestuffs annually is estimated at
255,00O metric tons, or more than
double that of 1914. That this oppor.
tunity to substantially increase her
share in this manufacture has already
engaged the attention Of the directors
of the I. G. Is seen from the fact that
plans are now going ahead to estab-
lish an enormous dyestuff center in
Kobe, Japan, wherefrom all Oriental
needs are to be supplied. The main
reason for founding such basis at
Kobe is that China is the worlds big
gest consumer Of coloring matter.
Germany's avowed rivals in this
Oriental field, to say the least. are in
the United States. When these plans
OF the I. G. became known, the du
Pont, the National and the Newport
interests in America took alarm and
set on foot various means Of meeting
this possible rivalry.
AS a matter Of fact it was the fear
OF Germany's supremacy in this profit.
able dyestuff industry, which includes
varnlsh and lacquer products. that
inspired industrial interests in the
United States. England and France
to carve out quite a novel source of
lucre during and after the war.
In 1913 England imported 80 per
cent Of her dyestuffs from Germany.
There was then not a single firm
comparable to Germany's@ huge con-
Germs. The war again became a de.
Gliding factor and the. merging Of
various interests followed. In 1918 in
order to put greater impetus into the
dyestuff industry and it's expectation
the British government encouraged
the formation Of the British Dyestuff
Corporation with a capital Of 0,0OO,-
600 sterling. The following year it
lost 100000 pounds sterling. A
hardly better year was 1920. when its
meager profit amounted to 100, 900
pounds sterling. The safeguarding
Of industries act, which parliament
passed in 1920 to hold good for the 10
following years, prohibited all impor.
tation Of foreign dyestuffs.
United States Comes Second.
1t is true that because Of the
preferential tariff and other parlia.
mentary acts Britain is able to put
forth a larger quota of dyestuffs on
foreign marts, thus heading the list
of dyestuff exporters with her $22,.
$4,000 worth Of coloring sold abroad
But the United States. which supplies
all Of Canada's dyestuff
need, comes next with her $3.50 900
or dyestuff, lacquer and varnish ex-
ports. Germany is a close third, her
exports amounting to $16,750, 900.
These are the figures Of last years
trade
Germany's outlook in this dyestuff
trade is daily becoming more hopeful.
NO doubt the recent continental steel
combines and the understanding with
British magnates are another sign OF
her growing Importance in interna-
tional trade. That the powerful British
Dyestuff Corporation has allowed Ger.
man participation In Britain's dyestuff
industry is taken as a further index
to the Reich's forthcoming resurrec.
ton in colonial trade.
AS a matter of fact the /. G.. is
doing quite flourishing business with
the South American countries in dive.
Stuffs. and she has concluded most
favored nations treaties with most
European states, thus enabling her
to extend her dyestuff and other com.
mercial activities unhampered by
tariff incumberments.
Women who have much business