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Show "Old King Coal" and His Ever-Increasing Family WASHINGTON. An interesllng ni'w f-xliil.it li:is just l.wn added to the collections of the National museum here. Tt consists of a 200-pound lump of coiil and about (i(M) little glass l.otili'S continuing various products that can be made from this lump. The exhibit, however, Is not quite finished. When it is there will be 1,400 of these little glass bottles. These exhibits represent the achievement of the ik!W American coal products industry, one of the most important im-portant of our war babies, which the scientists of the government an; doing everything in their power to keep alive. With half the coal in the world in its possession is seems foolish for the United Slates to import all its coal by- products from Germany. Vet this is what happened belore the war, and mis is what may happen again unless steps are taken to protect the new infant until it learns to walk safely. The rise of the coal by-products industry in this country with the exception excep-tion of the manufacture of dyostuffs has been so quiet and inconspicuous that the public is still unacquainted with the numerous amazing things that are contained in coal. This exhibit in the museum is to familiarize the public with these products. Dr. Chester K. Gilbert, curator of mineral technology of the museum, is also attempting to arouse people to the importance of coal by-products by a series of pamphlets and lectures, in which he puts the complicated, com-plicated, scientific side of the new industry in popular form. The United Slates stands to gain a brand new industry with almost unlimited unlim-ited possibilities from the war, if it succeeds in holding out against the renewed efforts of tha German coal by-products industry to supply the world. |