The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-08-07
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1871
STRATEGIC RAW MATERIAL

M G0lO nav WI -'N'E-
One OF the most immediate re-
suits Of the tension between the
United States and Japan is the flut-
ter in ladies' lingerie and hose.
American women consume the stu
pendous total OF nearly half a bill
lion pairs OF sheer stockings per
year and lingerie in almost equally
astronomical quantities.
Practically all the silk that goes
into the hose comes from Japan
and with American-Japanese COM
merce frozen, its importation ends.
. Furthermore, such raw silk as the
United States has on hand is also
frozen" because silk n strategic
raw material" indispensable in
making certain articles necessary
for national defense.
Strategic raw material" is
term in the modern vocabulary OF
war with which the public 10 des-
tined 10 become increasingly famil-
lar as time goes on. The phrase was
coined IN the World War to cover
certain cstesories Of substances es-
sential to the manufacture OF shells,
guns and explosives.
Since that time modern chemis-
try and metallurgy has vastly ex-
tended the list. In q standard eco
nomio-military book OF q few years
ago, 66 OF these strategic materials
we're listed. Today more than
hundred are enumerated By some
authorities. Strangely enough, they
include many articles dear TO the
feminine heart Besides silk, rsyon,
rouge. lLpstick, facial creams and
many other preparations contain
ingredients that may make them
hard 70 get as defense production
increases.
Ths Intrusion OF Mars into the
bower OF beauty 10 no new thing
in human history. Since interna-
tional sArife began the war-god has
specialized In conAscatiag femin-
inity's dearest and sheerest gar
ments. When the men OF Greece
launched q thousand ships TO bring
Helen back from Troy, the daugh-
tiers OF Priam, Trojan king. gave
their silk scarfs and robes to be raw
eled down and rewoven into bow
strings for the Trojan archers.
SIX 10 those dam days more than
5000 years ago was necessary for
war because II was the only sub
stance from which first-class bow
80 h. 1A L. - a.
gicelly indispensable today because
1t Is the only satisfactory substance
for making articles as important N
the war OF 1871 as were bow
strings in the days OF King Prian.
Significance OF silk In ultra-mod-
ern, streamlined war lies In the fact
that IT is the only substance gener-
ally recognized as satisfactory for
the making OF parachutes, also for
the powder-bass in which are
packed the charges for big guns.
Material Of which parachutes are
made must be strong. light and
above all II must not wad or ball
together into a lump when packed.
Parachutes today are packed into
tight cases and remain that way for
weeks, sometimes months. Yet
when the rip-cord IL pulled, they
must unroll smoothly, quickly and
certainly, or some unfortunate flier
will pay the penalty with his life
Only. silk thus far u accepted as
sure 10 DO this, although expert
ments have been made with rayon,
with excellent and most encourag.
ing results.
On the gunnery side OF war silk
owes its strategic qualities to the
fact that 1t is the only substance
known to man which. when burned.
goes up In smoke az quickly and
completely as modern nitro-cellu-
lose powder. leaving no smoldering
-ctnders, ssf1es nor residue OF any
kind
This makes It possible 10 pack
artillery powder charges in bags
d silk without risking a bareback
or explosion from flaming bits Of
cloth when a new charge il loaded
into the gun.
Some idea OF the rate at which
such warlike uses may be expected
10 consume silk may be gained
when II is realized that the military
parachute weighs In the neighbor-
hood OF IS pounds. II this weight
we're all silk 1t would be the equiva-
lent Of 2sS pairs Of women's sheer
hose, and 1t would suffice for only
one airman.
A present objective OF the United
States Is the creation Of an airforce
OF 10000 planes, large and small.
With active forces and reserve sup
plies OF pilots, bombardiers, naEi-
gators. flying mechanics and spe-
cialists, there might well be a call
Tor a million parachutes. Such a sup
ply would require as much silk as
ie used in the manufacture OF 1885,
100000 pairs Of ladies' stockings or
more than half OF the entire annual
consumption OF the United States In
peacetime.
Every time a 16-inch gun is fired
more than twenty pounds OF silk
goes up In smoke, the Approximate
equivalent OF 100 pieces OF the film.
Test lingerie. This means the mar
ket will be good for home producers
and that the silk industry is en-
couraged again IN the United States.