Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-29
j. S. TO CONSERVE
ITS RAD|UM LANDS
FROM EXPLO|TERS
Secretary Lane Suggests With
drawaI from Purchase Sec
tiOns Containing Ores.
GOVERNMENT CHEMIST ON
TRACK OF CHEAP PROCESS
When Discovery Is Perfected
Secret Is to Be Given
to World.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-Secretary
Lane proposes to withdraw all lands
from the public domain suspected of
containing radium that their precious
deposits may be secured for the pub
lie good and not become the subject
of private speculation.
Mr.. Lane outlined his plan today in
letter to Chairman Foster, of the
House mines committee, urging i'm
mediate passage of a Joint congress
sional resolution Ito empower Presi-
dent Wilson to make the Withdrawals.
The secretary told Chairman Foster
that unless Federal action were
taken promptly there was danger
that valuable lands might become in
Volved in private speculation.
Investigation of the Geological Sur
vey have located public lands believed
to contain the precious substance
now so invaluable in medicine.
By the terms of the proposed reso-
luton the secretary of the interior
would be authorized "to conduct ex-
plorations and researches with view
to determining the practicability of
developing from such ores a supply
of radium and to provide for the
mining and treatment of radium-
bearing ores in such manner as would
best secure a supply of radium for
the use of the government of the
United States and the hospitals of
this country"
Only Two Grams In United States
Secretary Lane points out that
there are only two grams Of radium
at present in the United States. It
is valued at 100000 a gram. All has
been procured from Europe.
'"Three-fourths of the radium pro-
duced in the world during the year
1872 says Secretary Lane, came
from American ores, yet we have, up
to this time, taken no steps whatever
to preserve for our own people this
invaluable metal, and our physicians
and hospitals are dependent upon
European laboratories for such sup
ply as they can procure, and are sub
ject to whatever monopoly charge the
European laboratories demand for
their produce
In view of the known effectiveness
of radium in the treatment of cancer
and the difficulty now experienced In
obtaining supply of 1t, Secretary
Lane says that, as one person in every
ten In this country more than fifty
years of age suffers from cancer al
Is ifilclllts4tesAeGaeresti the neces.
sity for securing as large q supply as
possible of this mysterious remedy"
Process of Extraction Secret.
Continuing, the secretary says:
'Radium is found in ores carrying
uranium and vanadium which are
used extensively In arts, and processes
by which it Is extracted are secret
process has been invented by the
chemists in our bureau Of mines which
promises from the laboratory expert
ments thus far made to be successful.
Under the endowment of two Amer
leans a building is now being erected
In Denver which, with Its equipment.
will be opened for work in the coming
February in which an effort will be
made to prove the commercial possi-
bility of this American process. II
successful, this process will be given
to the world, and all of the radium
secured over and above a small mini
mum will be the property of the
United States, and Will be put into the
hands of The United States public
health service for public use.
Under all these circumstances it
seems to be that the only prudent
course that the United States can take
is to withdraw such of it's lands as
are supposed to contain radium from
public entry. This will guard against
these lands being taken UP by those
who would not put them to their
highest and most beneficial use. II
would be inhuman to deprive other
nations of access to our radium de-
posits If they alone were masters of
the secret by which this mineral could
be secured, and 1t Is believed that
there is a sufficient amount of carno-
tite and pitchblende already in
private ownership in this country TO
permit of continued European expert
mentation and production. The people
of the United States, however, should
be entitled to protection against the
exhaustion of this resource and its
exclusive control by the scientists of
other lands.