Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
February,  1920.) 
Glass  Manufacture 
119 
and  labor  were  diverted  to  these  special  purposes ;  and  some  branches 
of  the  industry  in  which  the  country  had  already  secured  a  pre- 
dominant position  suffered  severely,  other  branches  developed,  and 
entirely  new  branches  of  the  industry  were  established.  In  common 
with  all  other  industries,  the  glass  trade  suffered  severely  from  short- 
age of  labor  and  material,  and  particularly  owing  to  the  fact  that 
as  soon  as  the  lads  became  sufficiently  highly  trained  to  be  really 
useful  workmen  they  were  often  called  up  for  military  service. 
Furnaces  and  plant  had  been  worked  beyond  the  economic  limit,  and 
were  badly  in  need  of  repair  before  the  signing  of  the  armistice  made 
it  no  longer  necessary  to  carry  on  at  all  costs.  The  fact  that  much 
of  the  new  constructional  work  carried  out  during  the  war  was  es- 
sentially of  an  emergency  character,  carried  out  with  war  materials 
and  at  war  costs,  has  also  to  be  considered  when  reviewing  the  posi- 
tion at  the  end  of  the  war. 
The  British  glass  trade  may  well  be  proud  of  the  part  which  it 
has  played  in  the  war;  but  there. is  no  little  danger  that  while  we 
continue  to  celebrate  our  victories,  we  may  lose  the  opportunity 
of  consolidating  our  position.  Any  scheme  devised  for  the  safe- 
guarding of  the  industry  can  only  be  effective  if  the  industry  strain 
every  effort  to  attain  to  the  highest  pitch  of  efficiency ;  for  we  may 
be  certain  that  our  late  enemies  will  also  strain  every  effort  to  win 
back  the  positions  which  they  formerly  held.  They  have  still  their 
factories,  generally  in  good  working  order,  much  of  their  trained 
labor  and  management,  and  above  all  a  great  store  of  knowledge 
and  experience. 
Circumstances  arising  out  of  the  war  have  done  much  to  dissi- 
pate the  idea  that  success  in  industry  depends  upon  the  possession 
of  trade  secrets.  The  Society  of  Glass  Technology  and  the  new 
trade  associations  have  already  done  much  to  bring  manufacturers 
together,  and  to  promote  the  spirit  of  cooperation.  Such  research 
as  has  been  carried  out  during  the  war  has  aimed  rather  at  the  solu- 
tion of  problems  arising  out  of  the  need  for  producing  goods  pre- 
viously imported  from  enemy  countries,  and  it  is  difficult  to  lay 
one's  hand  on  a  really  original  discovery  in  connection  with  glass. 
However,  the  lines  which  future  investigations  must  follow  are 
fairly  well  defined. 
The  difficulties  attending  the  scientific  investigation  of  glass 
are  extraordinary.  We  have  as  yet  no  knowledge  of  the  nature  of 
glass,  and  experimental  methods  have  yet  to  be  developed.  Glass 
