The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-01-01
LANE WOULD HEAD
OFF FORMATION OF
RADIUM MONOPOLY

Wasn1ngton. Dec 30.-Secretary
N proposes to withdraw all lands
or the public domain suspected of con-
tanning radium, that their precious de-
posts may be secured for the public
good and not become the subject OF
prlvate speculation.
Mr. Lane is having prepared a pro-
Slslonal resolution to empower Presi-
dent Wilson to make the withdrawals.
investigations of the geological sur
Yey have located public lands believed
TO contain the previous substance, now
SO invaluable in medicine.
Conduct Exploration.
~ the terms of the proposed reso-
luton, the secretary Of the Interior
plorations and researches with a view
70 determining the practicability Of
developing from such ores a supply Of
radlum and to provide for the mining
treatment of radium bearing ores
IN such manner as would best secure
a supply of radium for the use Of the
government of the United States and
the hospitals of this country.
Mr. Lane points out that there are
only Two grams Of radium at present
III 1ne United States. 1t is valued at
100000 a gram. All mas been procured
from Europe.
"Three-fourths of the radium pro-
auced In the world during the year
1872 says Secretary Lane, came
from american ores, yet we have, up
20 tn1s time, taken no steps whatever
to preserve for our own people this in
valuable metal, and our physicians and
hospitals are dependent on European
l~aporatorles for such supply as they
can procure and are subject to what
ever monopoly charge the European
laboratories demand for their product
Powerful Metal Needed.
IN view of tho Jsnor,,~ eazl..
of radium in the treatment of cancer.
n the difficulty now experienced IL,
obtaining it, Secretary Lane saws. as
one person in every 10 in this country
more than SO years old suffers from
cancer, 1T is difficult to over-estimate
the necessity for securing immediately
as large a supply as possible of this
mysterious remedy" /.
Continuing. the secretary says:
"Radium is found in ores carrying
uranium and vanadium, which are
used extensively in the arts and pro-
cesses by which it is extracted are SCI
cret. A process has been invented by
the chemists in our bureau of mines
which promises, from the laboratory
experiments thus far made to be sue
cessful. Under the endowment of two
Americans, a building is now being
erected in Denver (Which with its
equipment will be opened for work in
the coming February, in which an eff
loil WILL DS l1due@ 10 prove the conn.,
mercial possibility of this American
process. If successful his process will
be given to the world and all of the
raium secured I'VE and above q small
minimum will be the property of the
United States, and will be put into the
hands of the United States public
health service for the people.
Prevent Private Monopoly.
"Under the circumstances it seems to
me that the only prudent course that
the United States could pursue was to
Withdraw UGH of it's lands as are sup
posed, to contain radium from public
entry. This will guard against these
public lands being AXE up
by persons who would not
develop them to their highest and most
beneficial use. 1t would be almost in
human to deprive other nations access
to our radium deposits If they alone
were masters of the secret by which
this mineral could be secured and it is
believed there is a sufficient amount of
carnotte, and pitchblende already in
private ownership in this country to
permit of continued European expert
m%entation and production. The people
of the United States, however, should
be entitled to protection against the ex-
haustion Of this %resource and it's ex-
elusive control by the scientists of 9TH
or lands E - i7 tAt