Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-01-03
LANE ASKS CONTROL
Of RADIUM BY
GOVERNMENT
Secretary Urges Immediate
Legislation to Reserve Fed
eraI Ownership Of Ores on
Public Domain
ESPECIAL eonsrssonprnep 70 MORNING JOURNAL

the development and protection Of the
American Radium situation" when
Franklin X. Lane, secretary Of the
interior, sent letter 10 Representa-
tive Martin d, Foster, of Illinois,
urging the immediate enactment Of
legislation giving the president the
fright 20 reserve TO the United states
government all rights ana ownership
Of radlum- bearing ores found any
where on the public lands.
Mr. Foster is chairman Of the
house committee on mines and min-
! Ing lie Is also physician of prom
linence, who for some time has been
studying the radium situation, and
several days ago introduced bill Of
his own, seeking the same object that
Secretary Lane wants to accomplish.
In the opinion of Secretary Lane
the situation is such that this legis-
lation should be enacted Immediately
because there Is now no authority of
low for the Withdrawal of any public
lands containing this precious metal
] ii is feared that the successful use Of
radium in the treatment of certain
forms OF cancer. its wonderful posi-
/ bilties along ether lines and the in
4 tcrest the public Is beginning to man
+ fest IN the concentration of scientific
/ thought and effort upon the radium
lQuestion may result in some Of the
lcarnothe ANA pitehblede ores on the
public lands falling into the hands Of
spectators, or that they may be
gobblcd up by agents acting for in
i forests abroad.
II so happens that al the carnotte
mines in Utah and Colorado now in
actual operation are on govern
ment lands and owned by private in
/ dividuals and that no carnotite or
nitchblende properties have been
developed ON the public lands But
/ the vital importance of the American
/ radium situation has caused the en-
/ orgies of the government TO be
/ directed toward the conservation and
extraction of these ores under federal
4 government auspices ais soon as The
necessary legal authority for such ac-
! ton Is obtainahle from congress.
The text of the joint resolution
which Secretary Lame today sent to
/ Chairman Foster provides not onlS
/ for the withdrRwal Of public lands
but also for geological research and
/ exploration under the auspices Of the
secretary Of the interior to determine
the practicaMhty OF developing from
such minerals a Source and supply Of
radium
1t would also authorize the govern
ment forces under the secretary's d.
Teetiou 10 mine and treat radlun
bearing ores in such manner as would
secure a supply for the use of the
United states government and for the
hospitals throughout the United states
In his letter To Chairman Foster
urging legislation, Secretary Lan'
wrote.
There appears to be IN the United
States less than two grams of radium
that is less than 1-1l of an ounce
This is valued at $4,000 "a gram, ant
all of II has been procured from Eu.
rope. where there exists in France
Austria, Germany and ENGLAND lab
orutorics for It's manufacture. Three
fourths of the radium produced In tbs
world during the your 1912 came from
American ores, yet we have up TO thti
time taken no steps whatever TO pre-
serve for our own people this inyal
liable metal ana our ply siclans aut
hospitals are dependent upon Euro
lpean laboratories for such supply az
they can procure, and are subject I,
whatever monopoly charge the Euro
Ipcan laboratories demand for thei
product
ut s not possible To- procure at ih'
present time so much as am additiona
gram of radium one American ply
/. tsieian informs me that after a searcl
Of Europe he has been PROMISED
gram i'm the course Of the next year
which was the earliest time it was pos
sible To secure a promise of even thi
slight amount.
All present those who have m
.dium are forced to the awful alterna
live OF selecting between patients on
whom 1t may be used. lnasmuch al
authorities have estimated that on
person out of ten in the United state
over 90 years Of age suffers from can
cancer ii would appear TO be diff
cult to ovcrestimatc the necessity fo
securing Immediately as large a sup
IpN as possible of this mysterlou
remedy. and especially Is this burden
least upon this country wherein thu
.for have been found the largest de
, lposlts Of those minerals which II 3
borne.
"Radium Is found I'M ores carYnI
uranium and vanndium. which ar
fused extensively IN the arts, and TN
processes hy which h Is extracted am
, secret 4 process has been inventel
hy the chemists in our bureau %
mines which promises. from the lab
orator, experiments thus far made
20 he successful Under the endoN
. mcnis of two Americans a buildn
Is now being erected in Denver twhic
, with lis equipment. will be opened TO
work in the ceming February, d
. which ian Effort win be made to prov
.the commercial possibility of thl
American process II successful mi
. process will he given 60 the worlt
and ala OF the radium secured oNo
and above small minimum will b
.the property of the United States am
viii be put into the hands of IN
United states hospital service for pull
y lie use
"Under these circumstances
{ seems 10 nae that the only pruder
4 course that the United states ean TO
b low is 70 Withdraw such OF its land
q as are supposed to contain radiu