The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-09-10
HOW MUCH COPPER
WILL WAR CONSUME.
EQUIPMENT AND AMMUNITION
USE MUCH AND THIS coUN.
TRY SHOULD suPPLYlT.

During the Balkan war estimates Of
the large amount Of copper that would
be used before the conflict ended were
widely exploited. Forecasts as to
beneficial effect Of the general Euro
pean war have been lacking. which Is
natural in view Of curtailment of so
per cent production in this country
and the drop in exports.
In November. 1912. one of the larg-
est copper producers gave to the Wall
Street Journal a statement as to the
amount of copper that owuld be con-
sumed in the Balkan war. This state
ment. interesting in view of European
war involving many millions more
men. follows:
What Other Wars Consumed.
"That the Turks and allied forces
now engaged in the Balkan war will
prove very important factor in cop
per metal in the near future, is the
opinion of leading copper producers
and manufacturers of ammunition.
Expenditures of ammunition are
based on what was used in the Russo
Japanese war, namely, $50 rounds per
day Of battle per man. The allied
forces have some 445,000 men under
arms, so that expenditure Of small
arms ammunition by them would be
155,700,000 rounds per day of battle.
1.-THE Turks, based on the number
of men under arms. would expend 1867
100000 rounds per day Of battle, ma
king total Of 260,750,000 rounds per
day Of battle.
1T is fair to figure at least five days
Of battle per man, making total ex-
penditures of small arms ammunition
for that period 1.3O3,75O,0O0 rounds.
Copper in Shells.
THE empty brass cartridge cases or
shells used by the Turkish army weigh
22.O2 pounds per 1000. and contain 70
per cent copper, while shells used by
the allies weigh 2O.S5 pounds per 1000
and contain &c 2-3 per cent copper
Assuming an average weight Of
21h pounds per 1000 shells and cop
per content in the brass of 20 per cent,
the copper used up to the present
would amount to upward of 19,500,0O0
pounds.
"The expenditure Of field gun am
munition based on figures Of the Rus
so-Japanese war, would amount to
about 1850 pounds per day Of battle.
As an empty cartridge case weighs
about two pounds, 100000 pounds Of
brass were used per day Of battle.
Counting five days of battle since the
war began, there has been used L.
$4,000 pounds Of brass, or 1,113,79O
pounds of copper. making upward of
100000 pounds Of copper that has
been used since the war began.
Business for Ammunition Makers.
ut is evident that ammunition man.
ufacturers will be kept busy replen-
ishing depleted supplies as a result of
the Balkan war. Incidentally the
amount Of copper consumed by the
Balkan war to date Is rs per cent In
excess Of increase in surplus copper
stocks reported by this country in
September"
With these figures at hand It is only
necessary to keep track Of shots free
to get good line on the copper the
Germans and allies are using. If all
the copper in Europe is used up by
the war, this country could supply
any deficiency by increasing produc-
ton, which Is now so per cent Of ca
pacity, to normal News that the war
ring nations have run out of copper
and must thereafter use muzzle load
ers would be sufficien to drive away
the despair now in evidence in the
American copper trade.