The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-01-19
AMERICAN RADIUM
FOR AMERICANS
Secretary Lane Outlines Purpose of Pro-
posed Legislation for Utilization
of Public Radium Lands.

Secretary Lane. of the interior depart
ment, expresses himself in no uncertain
terms in his belief that the American
people win strongly support him in the
broad gage policy that aims TO extract
from lands now in public ownership suf-
ficient American radium for American
hospitals, in order that the poorest pa
tents may secure promptly the treat
ment now necessarily limited to the Sc
lected few
In reply to a protest against the
proposed legislation allowing withdrawal
Of public lands known or believed to
contain radium ores, Secretary Lane
states the issue as one which is believed
to be that of life and death to hundreds
of thousands of Americans.
The apprehension seems to be, the
secretary states. that vast areas in "any
part of Colorado are to be closed to en-
try ION suspicion" and thus prospecting
not only for radium but for the precious
and semiprecious metals as well will be
stopped. These fears are not well found
ed The distribution of radium- bearing
minerals as now known in Colorado is
fairly well defined, and there is no in
tention in the interior department to
apply Withdrawals outside of the rela
lively small areas known to contain
these minerals.
The pitchblende of Gilpin county is
already entirely owned by individuals
and corporations. and single American
now controls more than 100
carnotite claims, the radum product
l.. a. 4. H.. 81
bidder in any country. The carnotite
deposits which it is now proposed to de-
vote primarily to the use of the Ameri-
can people are known through inyestiga
tions of the United States geological sur
vey to be for the most part confined to
particular beds of rock.
Best Radium Ore Shipped Abroad.
The official statistics of 1913 as to our
exports of uranium and yanadium ores
radium, indicate larger con-
tent of radium in the Colorado ores
shipped to Europe than in the somewhat
greater tonnage of ores treated or kept
in this country. The joint resolution
submitted by the secretary for the con
sideration of congress contains author
ty not only for the president to with |
draw radium lands from further pri- |
rate appropriation but also for the sec
rotary OF the interior to lease these /
ands or otherwise provide for the min
ng of the ores SO as to secure the need !
ID supply or radium for the government !
md hospitals of the United States. The
rigorous administration which such a |
aw would deserve by reason of the ur- !
rent nature Of the matter would demand
hat there be no delay in opening the de-
1osits to purposeful legislation. The OBJ
ect OF the proposed legislation is not
reservation from use, but rather develop
nent under conditions not only favoring
nut even forcing the best use of this
resource. which has no valu
kept as it is mined and used.
2adium Once Extracted Can Be Used 70
Generations.
The effort of the federal government
hould be, and Secretary Lane states
hat he believes it will be, directed t.
he promotion of all mining of radiun
res in Colorado and Utah, in any ar
very way conducive TO the protectio
# Americas interest in the produc
Carly exhaustion of these deposits i
he sense tndJ we speak OF eAHausllof
f other mineral resources is something
which need not be feared. The radiun
nee extracted from the ores become
valuable for continued use without ap
reciabe loss and becomes a permanen
EDITION to the needed supply. I'll
anne radium that is placed at human 4
tvs service to-day may be used by on
hildren for many generations.
Whatever the percentage of America
res now exported from mines in privat
wnership and largely under corporal
ontrol, it is, in Secretary lanes opir
IN. only equitable and humane TO as
ure America preferential rights to tt
ldium on land still in public owne'
hip. 1t is foi control to this end thu
he legislation is proposed. and such cor
-ol is to be secured through the imm
late opening of mines and the promf
Ntraction of the radium from the orr
lined.