The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-19
WILL KEEP AMERICAN
RADlUM FOR AMERICANS
Secretary Lane Outlines Purpose OF
Proposed Legislation,

proposed Legislation.
Secretary Lane. of I'll, interior de-
partment. expresses himsslf IN no an
certain terms in his belief that the
American people will strongly support
him in the broad-gage policy that
aims to extract from lands now IN
public ownership sufficient American
radium for American hospitals. IN
order that the poorest patients may
secure promptly the treatment now
necessarily limited to the selected
few.
In reply to protest against the
proposed legislation allowing with
drawal of public lands known or be-
lieVcd To contain radium ores, Secre-
tary Lane states the issue as one
which is believed 10 be that of life
and death to hundreds Of thousands of
Americans
The apprehension seems TO be, the
secretary states, that vast areas i'm
amy part of Colorado are to be clos
ed to entry ION suspicion" and thus
prospecting not only for radium, but
for the precious and semiprecious
metals as well will be stopped. These
fears arc not well founded. The dis
tribution of radum- hearing minerals
as now known in Colorado is fairly
we'll defined, and there is no intention
in the interior department to apply
Withdrawals outside of the relatively
small areas known to contain these
minerals.
The pitchblende of Gilpin county is
already entirely owned by individuals
and corporations, and a single Ameri-
can company now, controls more than
100 carnotite claims, the radium pro-
duct from which will he sold to the
highest bidder in any country. The
carnotite deposits which il is now
proposed To devote primarily to the
use of the American people are known
through Investigations of the United
states geological survey to be for the
most part confined TO particular beds
of rock.
Best Radium Ore Shipped Abroad
The official statistics of 1913 as to
ores carrying radium, indicate a larg-
er content Of radium in the Colorado
ores shipped to Europe than i'm the
somewhat greater tonnage of ores
treated or kept i'm this country. The
joint resolution submitted by the sec
rotary for the consideration of Con-
grcss contains authority not only for
the president to Withdraw radium
lands from further private appropria-
ton, but also for the secretary of the
interior To lease these lands or other
wise provide for the mining of the
ply of radium for the government and
hospitals of the United States. The
vigorous administration which such
law would deserve by reason of the
urgent nature OF the matter would de-
mand that there he no delay i'm opening
the deposits To purpOscful utilization
The object of the proposed lcgisla-
tioE is not reservation from use, but
rather development under conditions
not only favoring but ever forcing the
best use of this valuable resource,
which has 10 value except as it is
mined and used.
Can Be Used for Generations.
The effort of the federal government
should he, and Secretary Lane states
that ne believes IT will he. directed to
the promotion of all mining of radium
ores in Colorado and Utah. in any and
every way conducive to the protection
of Americas interests in the product.
Early exhaustion of these deposits i'm
the sense that we speak of exhaustion
of other mineral resources is some
thing which need not bc feared. The
radium once extracted from the ores
becomes available for continued use
without appreciable loss and becomes
a permanent addition To the needed
supply. The same radium that is placed
at humanity's service today may he
used by our children for many gen
crati6ns.
Whatever the percentage of Ameri-
can ores now exported from mines i'm !
a a A.. u