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NOTES ON THE RHINELAND CHEMICAL WORKS. 
Notes on the Rhineland Chemical 
Works.” 
By J. ALLAN. 
Parr 1—Marw Facrors 1x tHe DrvrropMEeN?T oF THRE GERMAN 
Cuemicat Inpustry. 
The time is opportune for us to take stock of our position in the 
world of chemical manufacture, and an important factor in determining 
our status must necessarily be the value which we place upon the German 
chemical industry, the heart of which undoubtedly is located in the 
valley of the Rhine. Much has been written, and even more said, of 
the greatness of the chemical works in this area and of the marvellous 
efficiency of their management. It has never been an attribute of the 
Germans to belittle themselves or their possessions, and many of the 
statements made as to the marvels of the country, of the wonders of its 
factories, and the ability of its people are their own assertions, varied 
merely by the language in which they are expressed. I do not wish it to 
be assumed from this statement that there is nothing great in what they 
have done in the business of applied chemistry, far from it, but I desire 
to assert that they have no monopoly in the ability necessary to initiate 
such enterprises and bring them to fruition. Many circumstances have 
contributed to the enviable position which they now hold in the domain 
of applied organic chemistry, and we can learn much from a full con- 
sideration of some of them, especially with the greater knowledge which 
has been acquired and the new perspective which has been created by 
the many happenings of the past five years. Not the least important 
of these has been the occupation of the Rhineland areas by the Allied 
forces, and their presence has made it possible for a survey to be made 
of practically all of the works within the occupied region under con- 
_ ditions which never previously occurred, and in a small measure to pene- 
trate the wall of secrecy which has for long surrounded them. It is 
with the view of conveying to you some impressions of a visit to the 
occupied areas that the subject of this address has been chosen. 
The present position of the German chemical industry is the out- 
come of a varicty of causes, and not the least of these is the peculiar 
combination of natural advantages which arise from the possession by 
Germany of the Rhine valley and those of its tributary streams. Along 
the 200 miles of its navigable length in German territory, the greatest 
of its chemical works are situated. The river provides at once a means 
of transport for raw and finished products, both internal and seaborne, a 
supply of water for all kinds of technical operations, and a ready means 
of disposing of effluent; whilst in close proximity to the water front are 
to be found the great beds of brown coal, which supply fuel at a cost 
which is almost nominal. The supply of this cheap fuel is only one of 
the natural resources of this favoured part of Germany, since coal, 
lime, salt, and pyrites are all available within the transport area. These 
* Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. 
109 
