New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-12
U. S. Output Twice That OF
Rest of World, Producer
of Mineral Says.
PLAN FOR GOVERNMENT
MONOPOLY ATTACKED
Might as Well Try to Take up
the Quinine Business,
Critic Asserts.
From The Tribune Bureau

go into the business OF producing rsdium
for the cure OF cancer is extraordlnsr9'
because on the face OF 1t. II shows that
neither the government nor the puohc
has the slightest conception OF the real
situation regarding radium In this coun-
try"
This statement was made here thls
evening by Joseph ". Flannery who -
president OF the Standard Chemical COM
pany. OF Pittsburgh, which has taken up
the business OF producing radium. Nj.
Flannery arrived in Washington to-day
the object Of his visit being to protest
against Congress taking the action de-
sired by Mr. Lane. and 10 explain 10 Con-
gress that there IS plenty OF radium IN
this country.
During the year Of 1914, he said, our
company will be able to place at the DIS
posal OF physicians and hospitals from
ten to twelve grams OF radium. This is
a production about 200 per cent greater
than the rest Of the entire world. or
about 100 per cent in excess OF the radium
production OF the Austrian government
Austria is famous for its radium, but
that which we get from our mines IN the
State Of Colorado alone Is greater in Dulk
than the supply of. the entire world The
annual radium output OF Europe Is at
present only four grams, about one-seV-
enth OF an ounce
Apparently, Mr. Lane, few members
of Congress and the public have been
grossly nisled concerning not only the
supply but also the properties OF radium
have noticed in the many published IN
terviews and statements a studied zeal to
disregard the fact that there is an Ameri-
can supply Of radium.
II have noted also the statement or
a physician that the doctors Of the United
States are dependent upon Europe for
their radium to be used in treating dis
ease This is absurdly false. We stand
ready 10 sell physicians the radium that
they want at the rate Of between ten and
twelve grams year.
AS a matter Of fact, DR.. Howard A.
| Kelly. of Baltimore, Is now buying ra-
dunn from US. Furthermore. the Bureau
of Standards in the Department OF Com
| merce. has bought radium from US. And,
in addition to this. agents of the federal
government have had the run Of our mill
and laboratory in Pennsylvania. so that
they might learn everything possible
about the mea surfing and standardizing OF
| radium.
THE following letter was sent TO us on
September 10 last by 3. w. Stratton, d.
rector of the Bureau OF Standards here:
81 desire to express my appreciation OF
the courtesies which were shown to DR..
Dorsey during his recent visit 10 your
laboratory for the purpose OF partici-
pating In the measurement Of the radium
specimens purchased by this bureau
Does this look as if the American gov
eminent or the American public had TO
rely on a foreign supply of radium?
"A picturesque mixture of sentimental
ity and misstatement has served to cloud
the issues and obscure the facts in regard
to radium. II the government undertakes
10 90 into the business OF mining radium
il Will find itself overwhelmed with the
gigantic undertaking OF producing anu
dsposing of vanadium, uranium and the
! other minerals of which radium Is BY
| product, and it will undoubtedly have 10
| meet the competition of private enter
prises
THE radium element as a matter OF
fact is found in so many minerals that
there is absolutely no telling where the
government would stop IL it embarked on
it's proposed enterprise OF producing ra-
dunn. Indeed it is impossible TO estimate
what tremendous expense the pubic
treasury would have TO stand II II went
i'm for the production OF product the
selling price OF which Is $40 miiligram
Of radjum element remembering that 1t
takes a thousand mlligrams to make one
gram.
There is no more reason, So far as L
can see. why the government should so
into the radium business for curing can
Ger than there is for it to take UP the
ouinine business. II the Standard Chem
zeal Company or any other enterprise had
shown the slightest disposition to with
hold radium from the public or from
physicians. or If they had attempted 10
hold the material at a prohibitive price,
there might be some ground for this
movement TO coniscate their property
and TO take away their business. as well
as the property and business Of other peo-
ple-mners, prospectors and laborers.
But the fact is that, after years OF
experimentation and patient labor, we
have discovered a process for the pro
duction Of radum and have spent vast
sums Of money at the mines, in the mill
and in the laboratory in order TO produce
as much Of 1t as is humanity possible.
And this fact must be remembered: IL
will take the government AT least two
years TO produce any radium at all. III
the government put into effect the Lane
proposition now, Il would follow that
DR.. Howard A. Kelly, possessing the
radium which we have sold him and are
under contract TO sell him. I'm addition
to a small supply he bought in Europe.
will enjoy the financial advantage OF pos
sessing more radium than any other
physician in the country.
Leaving out OF the question for the
moment this amazing determination Of
Mr.. Lane to do all he can To tie up the
radium supply here for two years or
more there is this scientific and unde-
niable fact: II will be at least two years
more before any physician can say that
radium is a specific for all forms Of can
Ger. In our clinic I'm Pittsburgh we have
satisfied ourselves that radium will cure
superficial cancer. but neither we nor
anybody else should have the assurance
TO say that il will cure all forms of