Gunnison news-champion., 1914-01-23
by Edward kssssnx.
Iss..@sa a. -lssss fsos Colossdo

Washington. u. c. just noe ssaae of
the papers are printing . good dssl Of
tommy ros concerning SECRETARY Lanes
Suggestion shat Gesernms1t land sup
Iscsed 10 contain dspossts of cornotste
and pstchbseade he withdrawn from en-
i-sy under the general lAws sn order thst
they may he handled according 10 reeu-
lations to he formulated by the presi-
DENT There must he something in the
atmosphere Of Colorsdo's beautiful
capital which causes the editorial pen 10
SWING easily from one extreme to an
other when treating public questions.
Tor II IL veil known to most Of my
readers. that, according 10 the Denver
papers. Colorado is always on the th-os-
hoid cf new era If prosperous devei-
opment. surpsssIne the most roeeste
hopes Of the most ardent booster. or. it
stands trembling on the precipice Of ir-
remediable disaster The fact that
neither Of these Iurid prophecies is ever
sustained by experience does not seem
10 disturb the ediorial prophets. who
continue to east horoscopes. while our
grand old state, ignoring or Disregard
ing the inky augurs, maintains the even
tenor of its way, surprising and graft
flying the remainder Of the country by
its consistent increase in wealth and
population.
No one down here in Washington
wants to ruin Colorado or injure Colo
RADIO or her industries, and least of all,
Secretary Lane, q western man, fsmi-
liar with western conditions. There is
serious difference of opinion among US
rs to the hest way to develope the
states enormous natural resources, but
that difference Of opinion is not confined
to- members of Congress and executive
officials. Coloradoans are by no means
unanimous on the point If we can not
agree among ourselves, why should we
be surprised or alarmed by diversity of
views sm0nx our fellow citizens of the
east.
fvB tnot tEsetOknt fts oS eNrs-
slider Secretary Lanes proposal and the
events which caused him TO put it for
ward.
A few weeks ago the nation was told
that "Smiling Bob" Bremen, Congress-
man from New Jersey, and close friend
and adviser of President Wilson, had
been taken to Baltimore sanitarium
in order that the malignant cancer that
was eating out his life, might be treat
ed with radium, the mysterious element
discovered by Mime. Cuni. A day or so
later, Baltimore's great surgeon, in
discussing the case, said that he could
not guarantee a cure because he did not
have enough rsdium.
Il have less than one gram of radium
and need ten grams" he said.
The discussion aroused by DIR. kel-
ley's statement. developed the fact that
the worlds supply of radium consisted
of 30 grams. of which the United States
had about two grams, the remainder
being in the possession of European
hospitals and governments This radi-
um, when it could be purchased at any
price, brought about sl20. 600 per gram.
| might say here that gram of radium
is about half the size of a mans little
finger.
1t was also shown that the most ex-
tensive deposits of cornotite and pitch
blende ores, from which radium is ex-
tracted, were located in Colorado and
Utah. Last year IL grams of radum
was taken from these ores add all of it
was shipped to Europe.
Now it is estimated that $4,000 men
and women die in this country every
year from cancer, and Secretary Lane
propounded this query to Congress and
the country:
"Why not use American radium to
cure Americans? Why place few men
who monopolize our radium deposits, in
a position where they may say, pay US
the outrageous prices we demand for
this lifa saving element or we will ship
it to Earope. >?
IL am not attempting to check the
development of Colorado's cornotite
and pitchblende deposites, the secre-
tary assured Us the other day. Il am
fighting the possible monopolization of
of these deposits. | want them devel-
oped to their fullest extent. but that
cannot be brought about through pri-
vate monopoly. In considering this
problem. our first duty is to try to save
the lives of some Of the 5000 men and
women who suecumb every year to this
dreadful disease.
And the Secretary is right We must
not permit the formation Of radium
trust, based on possession of the corno-
tite and pitchbland deposits of Colorado
and Utah. We of the West have had
some bitter experiences with the sneit-
ing trust, which has done more than