April, 1916] American Chemist and the War's Problems 221 



Production, not efficiency, is at present the slogan for this and 

 many other industries. Set-backs of the nature cited usually 

 take time for readjustment and frequently the chemist is a 

 material factor therein. The producer himself is often com- 

 pelled to add the next manufacturing step to his own operations. 

 The acetate maker for instance, tends to enter acetone man- 

 ufacturing. Where the new demands were ample, these attempts 

 have succeeded and the war's conclusion will find an increased 

 tendency to manufacture at the source. 



The set-backs to industry arising from the disturbance in 

 exports while they were important financially were minor 

 matters compared with those arising from such changed con- 

 ditions as failure of raw materials or their curtailment by 

 absorption in new or abnormally expanded industries. It is 

 here that the chemist is needed most and it is here that he has 

 been of immeasurable service, and has met the problems that 

 have arisen in wonderful style. He was seriously hampered at 

 first by the uncertainty as to the facts. The fundamental thing 

 in every industry is the market. At first much damage was 

 wrought and delay produced by false reports as to stocks on 

 hand and supply, particularly, of imports. Much withholding 

 of goods for higher prices was practiced and even yet the 

 pirates of commerce seek ways and means of evading contracts, 

 even on deliveries of goods which they were receiving without 

 cessation, so as to avail themselves of the inflated market prices. 

 Some clever work by consumers trapped at least some of these 

 unscrupulous brokers and sellers. All manner of fictitious 

 prices were demanded of those unfamiliar with the facts and 

 attempts were even made to influence the Washington Govern- 

 ment to activity against the British blockade through the use 

 of untruthful statistics regarding dyes. 



As soon as the true status of market and supply became 

 reasonably certain many changes were effected which will give 

 gradual and probably ultimate relief. On every hand we see 

 chemical activity without end. Products like synthetic phenol 

 and barium salts not made in this country before the war are 

 now made in large amount. Great expansion in production has 

 taken place in the case of such material as benzol, toluol, 

 aniline products, naphthaline, carbon-tetra-chloride, acids, 

 alkalis, chlorates, bichromates and even oxalic acid. With all of 

 these we were largely or in part dependent on imports, but have 



