Excerpt from Brain and Brawn, 1916-1917, Vol. 5
Chemicals used in paper making are becoming scarce, on account of the stoppage of importations from Germany. Almost all chemicals have soared in price. For instance, muriate of potash has risen from $30 to $500 a ton; carbolic acid has gone up 1000 per cent.
For six months I was unable to get a pencil, that would make black marks. It was like writing with a wire nail, until I happened to come across one fairly good brand, made in America. The dealers told me that the pencil business was all shot to pieces by the war.
The United States Government was forced to modify the color of the two cent stamp, on account of lack of dyes from Germany.
In Canada, the proud British flag assumed a dusky red hue, on account of the lack of German dyes.
For the same reason, our women are’ threatened with having to dress, like nuns, in white, or gray.
Laundries may have to advance prices, on account of lack of chem foals, from Germany.
Several hundred thousand canaries, made in Germany, were imported before the war. Now, they are unobtainable.
So it goes, all along the line. Thousands of articles of necessity and luxury are scarce, on account of the stoppage of German importa tions.
This is highly complimentary to Germany, while it reflects on our boasted American enterprise and efficiency. However, in Germany, infant industries are nursed by the government. Here, they are neglected, while lusty industries, that can afford to maintain highly paid lobbyists at Washington, inside and outside of Congress, are pampered.
Here are instances of the enterprising and ingenious manner in which the Germans have captured foreign markets. The quotation is from the New York Times.
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