Evening journal., 1913-12-30
ASK u. s. TO
GUARD RADIUM
Secretary Of the interior De-
partment Outlines Ills Plan
to Congress-
URGES WITHDRAWAL
OF PUBLIC LANDS

WASHINGTON. Dec sO-Carrying
out the suggestion Of DR.. Howard A.
Kelly Of Baltimore. and Alfred |. du-
Pont. OF Delaware, Secretary Lane, Of
The Interior Department yesterday
transmitted to Chairman Foster of the
House Committee on Mines and Min
ing. letter in which he recommends
legislation that would pave the way
for Government ownership and con
troll OF radium mines in this country
The secretary suggests legislation
by Congress which will give the
President power to reserve to the
United States all rights and ownership
Of Misunderstanding ores found in pub
lie lands that may be withdrawn un-
der the proposed law. The radium
mines are to be developed and used
for the benefit of mankind in combat
ing cancer.
Experts in tho Bureau of Mines
have been conducting quiet searches
for notwithstanding beds and have
found them in some sections OF the
country
Secretary Lane points out that all
tae radium now in this country
about ? grams, valued at 100000 a
gram-came from Europe and was
manufactured from ores secured in
the United States. He says steps
should at once be taken by Congress
to prevent the radium beds from fall
ing into the hands Of private specu-
lators
Mr.. Lane would have passed a joint
| Congressional resolution to empower
President Wilson to make the with
drawals
BY the terms of the proposed resolu-
tion the Secretary of the Interior
would be authorized Ito conduct ex-
plorations and researches with a view
% determining the practicability Of
developing from such ores supply
of radlum and to provide for the min
ng and treatment of radium-bearing
)res in such manner as would best
secure supply of radium for the use
of the Government Of the United States
and the hospitals of this country"
Dependent Upon Europe.
'Three-fourths of the radium pro-
luced in the world during the year
1872" says secretary Lane, came
from American ores. yet we have up
% this time taken no steps whatever
~ ~ IHLA w AOt Jul ONA DtOUit lnlS
invaluable metal, and our phsicians
and hospitals arc dependent upon
European laboratories for such supply
as, they can procure, and are subject
% whatever monopoly charge the
European laboratories demand for
heir product"
IN view Of the known effectiveness OF
radium in The treatment Of cancer and
the difficulty now experienced in obtain
ing a supply Of it, Secretary Lane says
that as one person in every ten in this
country more than 50 years OF age SUIT
fcrs from cancer 1T is difficult to over
estimate the necessity for securing i'm.
mediatelv as large a supply as possible
Of this mysterious remedy"
What the Metal Is.
Continuing the secretary says:
"Radium is found in ores carrying mr.
anium and vanadium, which are used
extensively in the arts. and processes by
which it is extracted are secret. A pro-
cess has been invented by the chemists
in our Bureau Of Mines which promises,
from the laboratory experiments thus
far made. to be successful Under the
endowment Of two Americans a build
ing is now being erected in Denver
(which, with its equipment will be open.
ed for work in the coming February IN
which an effort viii be made to prove
the commercial possibility Of this Amer
ican process. If successful. this process
viii be given to the world and all the
radinm secured over and above q small
minimum viii be the property Of the
United States and viii be put into the
hands of the United States Public
Health Service for public use.
"Jnder sl these circumstances It
seems to me that the only prudent
course that the United States can fol
low is to withdraw such Of its lands
AS. are supposed to contain radium from
public entry. This will guard against
these lands being taken mp by those who
would not put them in their highest and
n most beneficial use
Entitled to Protection"
4 1T would be inhuman to deprive other
nations Of access to our radium deposits
they alone were masters of the secret
bv which this mineral could be obtained
and it is believed that there is sutii-