THE STORY OF ARTIFICIAL SILK
remain 75 per cent. British, but it is free to
purchase good dyes from any foreign country.
The coming in of Artificial Silk means that
we shall learn, more and more, to use and
appreciate bright colours. Britain, in spite
of having the most charming rural scenery
in the world, has always been a land of duil
colours, because of the rain and the smoke.
We wear greys and browns. But when
the smoke nuisance has been abolished, then
the Age of Bright Colours will come in.
Our dinginess, in the matter of clothes and
buildings, is wholly abnormal. It has all
been caused by the smoke. By nature, we
love flowers and bright colours. = And as soon
as the pall of smoke has been abolished,
we can dress ourselves more gaily, as other
nations do.
As anyone who is not mentally blind can
see, Artificial Silk is compelling the recon-
struction of the cotton trade. If ever a trade
was frozen fast in its old ways, the cotton
trade was. It was fixed, unteachable, im-
movable. Tt learned little and forgot nothing.
It was the supreme trade of Great Britain,
It had been established for five generations,
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