The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-12-30
WILL PRESERVE
RADIUM LANDS
FOR THE PUBLIC
Secretary Lane Outlines
Plan to Save the Lands
Containing Precious De
posts From Priva G Spec
ulation
nv ASSOCIATED Pr IS.


WASHINGTON. Dec. Secretary
Lane proposes 60 withdraw all lands
OF the public domein suspected Of con
tanning radiun. that their precious de-
posts may be secured for the public
good and not become the SUSPECT Of
private speculation.
Mr.. Lans outlined his plan today 20
Chairman Foster OF the house mines
Of a Joint congressional resolution 70
empower President Wilson 20 make
Withdrawals. Tue secretary told Chair
man Foster that until favorable action
was taken promptly there was danEU
that valuable lands might beodTn9 9ns-
Volved IN private specuiaaeu- Invest
cations OF the geological E1Fyoy haV2
located public lsRcs believed to contain
radiUm now so Invaluable n mediCina-.
By terms o. tae proposed FeEofuf1c,as
the secretary Of the interior would BE-
authorized ''tB conduct e1JifoTatioHG
and researches with 2 view to ds4GEElG-
inins the practtcabillty Of develOPin&
from such ores 8 supply Of EsGtfHda !
and to provide for the Snt1ang and
treatment of rad1um-bearfng ores IN
such manner as would best secure q
supply Of radium for the use Of the
government and the hospitals OF thhB
Secretary Lane points cut that there
are only two grams Of radiuIn az pres
ent In the United States. It IS valued
at S125,oo0 gram All has bean pr0-
''Three-fourths OF the radhun pro-
duced in the world during the year
1912" says Secretary Lane. "cans
from American orsE vat We have J1u 10
this time taken no steps whatever 20
preserve for our own people this In
valuable metal and are dependant upon
European laboratories for supplies ana
are subject to whatever monopoly
mand"
In view OF the known effectiveness Of
ra.diuzn in the treatment OF canoer and
the difficulty now experienced in OBJ
tanning It, Secretary Lane says that as
one person in every ten In this coun
try more than 90 years OF age suffers
from cancer. cit Is diff1CaIlt to over-es-
innate the necessity for securing Inn
med1ateIy as large a supply as possible
Of this mysterious remedy"
Continuing, the secretary says:
''Radium Is found in ores carving
uranium and vanadiua, which are used
extensively in the arts, and processes
by which It is extracted are secret A
process has been invented by the chem
lists in our bureau Of mines which
promises, from the laboratory expert
Under the endowment Of two Ameri-
cans, building Is now being erected IN
Denver (Which, with It's equipment
viii be opened for work in tbs coming
r GDI uaIyJs IN WHICH an 6DOrG VIII De
made to prove the commercial posi-
btlity OF this American process. II
successful, this process VIII 30 given
to the world and all OF the radium Sc
cured over and above a small maxi
mum will be the property Of the
United States snd Will be put into the
hands Of the United States public
health service for public use.
Under all these circumstances Il
seems 80 me that the only prudent
course that the United States can fol-
low IS to withdraw such OF rs lands
as are supposed to contain radiurn
from public entry. This viii guard
against these lands being taken up BY
those who would not put tner7 to thsir
highest and most beneficial use. 1t
would be inhuman to deprive other
nations OF access to our radiuua de-
posits = they alone were masters of the
secret by which this mineral could bs
secured, and 1t Is believed that there 81
a sufficient amount Of csrnotie and
pitch blende already In private owner
ship in this country 60 permit OF con
6nued Europe experimentation and
The people OF the United
States, however, should be entitled 70
protection against the exhaustion OF
this resource and its exclusive control
by the scientists OF other lands"