Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 295, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1918 — Seaweed Discovered by Japanese as Substitute for Cotton—Also a Food [ARTICLE]

Seaweed Discovered by Japanese as Substitute for Cotton—Also a Food

Something has been heard lately of the value of seaweed for food. It can also be used, we now learn, says a writer In the Manchester Guardian, as a substitute for cotton. An account of this new textile was given recently by K. Hamada, vice president of the Japanese house of representatives, at a meeting of the Japanese Federation of Marine Industrial associations. The raw material may be obtained from two kinds of seaweed, called ‘ln Japanese segumo and gomoguma. These are boiled together In water with wood ashes, and then In water mixed with rice bran. After bleaching, fibers are extracted which can be utilized for manufacturing purposes. The announcement of this discovery has awakened no little interest on the Pacific coast of America, where the supply of seaweed Is almost inexhaustible. It Is along that coast, too, that some of the investigations were carried out a few years ago by Japanese’ scientists, whpse explanation that their visit had as Its object the study of seaweed was received with considerable skepticism.