Mar., 1922
THE JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
Reports on the Progress of Applied Chemistry In order that the Annual Reports on the Progress of Applied Chemistry issued by the Society of Chemical Industry may be more widely known in this country, the Society is offering Volume VI (to be published in March) a t the reduced price of 10s. post-free, to members of the American Chemical Society. This is the price charged to its own members. Orders, with remittance, should be sent to Dr. J. P. Longstaff, Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, Central House, 46 & 47, Finsbury Sq.,London, E. C. 2, England.
Calendar of Meetings American Chemical Society-63rd Meeting, Birmingham, A!a., April 4 to 7 , 1922. American Electrochemical Society-Sprizg Meeting, Baltimore, Md., April 27 to 29, 1922. American Institute of Chemical Engineers-14th Semiannual Meeting, Niagara Falls, Ontario, week of June 19, 1922. American Society for Testing MateriaIs-25th Annual Meeting, Atlantic City, N. J., June 26 to July 1, 1922.
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Officers of Local Sections, A. C. S. The 1922 officers of the New Haven Section are: President: MILO C . BURT Vice President: TREATB. JOHNSON Treasurer: J O H N I,. CHRISTIE Srcretavy: BLAIRSAXTON Councilor: HAROLD HIBB~RT
The 1922 officers of the Georgia Section are: Chairman: C . A. BUTT,Atlanta. Vice Chairman: Dr. J . F . SELLERS, Atlanta. Secretary-Treasurer: I,. B. LOCKHART, 33’12 Auburn Ave., Atlanta Councilor: W. P. HEATH,Atlanta.
American Institute of Chemical Engineers The American Institute of Chemical Engineers will meet in Niagara Falls, Ontario, a t the Hotel Clifton, beginning June 19, 1922. One day will be spent a t Buffalo, and one devoted to a boat trip to Toronto with visits to industries there. The feature of the program will be a symposium on the manufacture of the heavy acids. The Secretary, Dr. J. C. Olsen, Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, Brooklyn, N. Y., will be glad t o correspond with any who may be interested, whether members of the Institute or not.
NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE The Outlook in Europe
the “old tariff,” “new tariff,” “favored nation tariff,” arfd the “coeffisient The “old tariff” is the one which existed prior to that date, and applies t o some materials not made in France, and others not indigenous to France. The “new tariff,” generally speaking, is a very high tariff on certain chemicals and manufactured articles. The “favored nations tariff’’-from which the United States is conspicuously absent-favors those countries which France has chosen; but the most important and interesting part is the “coefficient.” This is a number 2, 3, 4, or more in the fourth column of the Tariff Act, which in every instance is used as a multiple of the duty assessed. In other words, precipitated barium sulfate is assessed a t 2 francs per 100 kilos, and includes the coefficient 5 ; therefore, it is dutiable a t 10 francs per 221 lbs. France has no unemployed men a t present; the entire country looks very prosperous. Belgium is in the same condition, and has a high protective tariff, but I am not in possession of the latest laws on the subject. )’
Editor of the Journal of Induslrial and Engineering Chemistry: It was my privilege to visit England, France, Belgium, and Germany during the months of October and November 1921, and my general impression of the conditions is such that I cannot put my finger on any one particular thing that would restore some‘of these countries to even a seminormal condition. BRITISHTARIFF CONDITIONS England has always been a free trade country, but since the war she has seen her industries slipping, with every indication of going under, and has enacted a general tariff bill, called the “Safeguarding of the Industries Act” in which a duty of 331/3 per cent has been placed on all industries which need protection, such as optical glass and optical instruments; scientific glassware; laboratory porcelain; synthetic colors, rare earths, and chemicals. In addition, an Anti-Dumping Act has been enacted, which became a law on October I, 1921. I can quote only Part 2, Section B, of the Anti-Dumping Act of England, which relates to the depreciation in value of foreign currency, which we would do well to follow: Evidence as t o price a t which similar goods can be profitably manufactured in the United Kingdom. Evidence to show that the depreciation in relation to sterling of the currency of the country of manufacture is responsible for the fact that the prices at which the goods are soid or offered for sale in the United Kingdom are below the prices a t which similar goods can be profitably manufactured in the United Kingdom. In addition to this, England has protected her dye and synthetic chemical industry by means of embargoes and prohibitions, which prevent some foreign chemicals from coming into the country. FRANCE AND BELGIUM The condition in France is still more interesting, for France has enacted a tariff, known as the Law of September 1921, which is composed of four distinct types of tariff. They are known as
THEEcoxoiwc CONDITION OP GERMANY The condition in Germany is exceedingly interesting in view of the fact that by far the largest part of the plants in Germany are working nights. There is no unemployment, as there is no foreign competition. As I pointed out to the Treasury Department last summer (in June 1921), Germany, in addition to her high tariffs, has a list of embargoes which precludes the importation of any material which can be made in Germany out of German raw material. If we wished to retaliate by shipping 1000 tons of barium peroxide to Germany a t five cents per ton it could not be done, because the material could not enter any of the customs ports of Germany. The man who goes to Berlin, lives a t a fine hotel, and orders the best wine for a few cents a bottle in our money, and then comes back talking about how prosperous Germany is, is not acquainted with the facts. It is true that Germany is working very hard, and that one passes hundreds of factories brilliantly illuminated a t night, particularly in the iron district near Essen,
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THE JOURNAL OF INDUISTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
but the workman is being paid in a currency that is continually depreciating, and the savings which he had put aside last year, when the mark was worth 1.6 cents, have depreciated until now their purchasing power is far less than it was a year ago, and their international value has fallen to half a cent. Such a condition is not wholesome, and I feel sure that unless Germany receives a gold loan from the Allies and the United States she may soon find herself in the same deplorable condition as Austria and Poland. Germany is running her railroads a t a tremendous loss (approximately thirteen billion marks this year) ; her postoffice shows a deficit of two billion marks, and, while she has neither army nor navy, she is supporting the foreign army on her soil a t a cost, equal to, if not greater than, that of France. Another pernicious defect of the financial condition in Germany is the fact that many of her merchants have opened accounts in Holland, England, the United States, and South America, and when they export goods t o these countries, they deposit the funds in the gold of that country. The consequence is that raw and manufactured material has been exported, but the money has never been returned to Germany. Another very depressing effect upon the Germans, particularly in relation to their reparation payments, has been the decision of the Allies in regard to Upper Silesia. It is expected that Germany will pay the indemnity either in gold or in kind, in accordance with Article 175 of the Treaty. It was agreed that Upper Silesia should decide by plebiscite whether it should become a part of Germany or a suzerainty of Poland. The vote was overwhelmingly for Germany, but a little rider a t the end of Article 175 states that even if the plebiscite shall decide in favor of one country or the other, the Commission may reverse this decision if they so see fit. It is a long time since I read this particular article and I am not sure I am correct in quoting Article 175, and I know I am not correct as to the exact verbiage used, but such at least was the intent of that paragraph. I happened to be in Germany a t the time that this decision was made, and it had a very depressing effect, not only upon the people but upon the mark; and, while I hold no brief for Geymany, my sense of fair play rebelled, for I felt France is encouraging future wars instead of preventing them. Germany has not the slightest desire for another war, she has not the money, and she has not the men, and, in my opinion, what she wants is t o be left alone to work out her own salvation. France would be infinitely better off if she reduced her army of 800,000 men and utilized them for the rebuilding of the devastated zone. Of course, if you go through the battle area as I did from the Ostend coast to Rheims, you feel that no punishment is too great to visit upon Germany, but it is a dangerous thing to allow your passions to get the better of your prudence. Universal peace would not be so far off if the Tammany politicians of France, of which she unfortunately has many, were superseded by safe and sane statesmen. Mr. Frank A. Vanderlip once stated “You cannot milk a cow and cut its throat a t the same time,” and that, it strikes me, is what is being done to Germany, in addition to what Germany is doing to herself. Czechoslovakia ought t o be taken for an example, for they are working gladly and peacefully; they have stopped printing money; their internal organization is on a paying basis, and the chances are that that country will come out ahead of all the other Central empires. As far as stocks of raw materials and finished products in Germany are concerned, Germany will soon come t o the end of her tether in the matter of textiles, for, with their depreciating mark: they are unable to buy cotton, wool, and silk a t competitive prices. As far as chemicals are concerned, Germany has enough raw material to undersell the world for many years.
MAXIMILIAN TOCH NEW YORK, N. Y. December 20, 1921
Vol. 14, No. 3
“The Fire and Explosion Hazards of Commercial Oils” Editor of the Journal of Industria! and Engineering Chemistry: In the interest of accuracy, we desire to call attention to a number of errors in the chapter on coal-tar oils in a book by Vlachos entitled “The Fire and Explosion Hazards of Commercial Oils,” published by Vlachos & Co., 1921. This book is intended for the enlightenment of fire underwriters. Its object is, therefore, praiseworthy, for underwriters are generally deficient in exact information concerning the complex and highly specialized materials of the oil industries. Unfortunately, the authors themselves do not appear t o have exercised sufficient care in presenting the subject of coal-tar oils and this chapter contains a number of statements which can only be described as grossly inaccurate. Turning t o the opening paragraphs of Chapter 16, Page 229, we find the flash point of “about 16’ F. below zero” attributed to coal tar. The flash point of crude tat: is very difficult t o ascertain as the tar always contains considerable moisture and the water vapors practically eliminate any true flash point. It is safe to say that crude coal tar will never flash a t temperatures below 180’ F. Distilled or dehydrated tars necessarily have the light oils removed during the process of dehydration and the residual tar will flash only a t temperatures well above 200” F. The flash point of 16’ F. below zero attributed to coal tar by the authors is probably intended to refer to benzene, as will be readily seen by reference t o the chapter title and subtitles. Nevertheless, the opening words of the chapter explicitly refer t o coal tar as a crude material derived from the by-product coke ovens and gas works. I n the second and third paragraphs of this chapter, the temperature of production of coal tar from coke ovens and gas works is given as 1100’ F. and 1500’ F., respectively. While carbonization temperatures vary, the temperature in by-product ovens is usually 1800” F., never as low as l l O O o , and the temperature in gas retorts is approximately 2000’ F. True these temperatures are of no particular significance or interest t o the fire underwriters, but if given at all should be stated with some degree of accuracy. In the next paragraph the authors state that coal tar flashes readily. It does not at ordinary temperatures as expressed above. “When stored in large steel tanks with steel roofs it is a n acceptable risk.” Steel roofs on coal-tar storage tanks are distinctly unsafe, owing to the corrosive action of the ammoniacal impurities in the liquor which always separates out on the top of coal tar in storage tanks. It is universal practice in the industry to use wooden roofs covered with pitch and felt surfaced with gravel or slag. These roofs will last as long as the tank itself. The steel roofs would not last five years and are always an element of danger by reason of the rapid corrosion. Crude coal tar in storage invariably has a layer of water on top from a few inches to several feet in depth. It is about as free from incidental fire hazard or even conflagration risk 8s any liquid material could be. On page 231, we find “the modern coal-tar stills are vertical and the older stills are horizontal.” Vertical tar stills are almost unknown in American practice. The horizontal still is standard for discontinuous distillation. This is probably unimportant as direct fired stills are not ordinarily insured. The authors appear to have inspected some very extraordinary installations: viz., continuous stills which are gravity fed; large open tank agitators in which benzene was treated with crude sulfuric acid, etc. In the last page of this section on benzene, we find the interesting statement that the authors have personally witnessed the violent explosion of creosoted wood and they deplore the use of creosoted wooden floor: in “so-called fireproof industrial
