The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-12
RADIUM PRODUCER
SCOUTS LANES PLAN
j. VI. Flanncry Of ri,t>bnrG
says Public l. Mislrd
About supply.
MORE MERE. THAN ABROAD
Goes to Washington 10 Protest
Against the Government
Entering Business.

WAsIuNGroN. Jan. 1l.--Joscph VI tIau-
merry OF Pittsburg. president OF company
which produces radium. arrived IN Wash
ington to-day to protest against the pro
posal OF Secretary Ian. to have tn. United
States Government go into the rahium
business.
MI f'lannery asserts that hIs lIttsburg
company will produc. 200 per cent more
radum during 1914 than is produced b2
the rest of the world ana that 1t VIII
yield 400 per cent. In excess OF the pro
duction Of Austria.
Secretary Lanes proposal shows that
neither the Government nor the public has
the slightest conception 'of the situation
regarding radium production IN the United
states" said Mr.. tlannery. Our com
pany will be able to place at tn" disposal
OF physicians and hospitals from ten 10
twelve grams Of radium this year.
This supply. which IL greater in bulk
than the supply of all the rest OF the
world. IL taken from our mines in
Colorado The annual outpu, Of radum
In Europe liz only four grams.
Apparently the Secretary OF the In
terror and certain members of Congress
and the press and public have been misled
concerning the supply and the properties
OF radium. There appears TO be IA lack of
knowledge or a studied effort TO ignore
the facts concerning the source Of Ameri-
can supply.
ne StdttfhtIN O'ti flsANt ". Ut
least one physician that the profession
and the hospitals In tn" United States
were dependent on Europe for their sup
ply of radium TO be used IN treating
disease
DIR. Howard A Kelly OF Baltimore IL
buying radium from us at this time. We
have sold to the Bureau of standards IN
Washington. We have permitted agents
OF the Government to come and 20 At Will
III our mill and laboratory in Pennsylvania
and they have been privileged to learn
everything possible about measuring ami
standardizing rad,um.
Il have a letter from Prof = ".
Strattou. director OF the Bureau OF stand
ards, thanking me for courtesies extended
TO agents OF his bureau who visited US to
observe the measurement of rad!um
specimens that We have sold to the GOV
eminent.
N the Government decides 10 go INTO
, the business OF mining rddium II will ruu
II has a gigantic undertaking. for 1t will
have to produce and DISPOSE OF vanadium.
uranium and the other minerals OF which
radium Is Il by-prOduot. In this II VIII
have to meet the competition OF private
| firms
The radium element is found IN 50
| many minerals that the Government
would find itself exploiting many new
| fields of private enterprise II IL undertook
| to control the business OF producing ra-
dium. You can get fair idea OF what
| the Government would have on its hands
! In the way of expenses when YOU reflect
| that the selling price of radium is sle0
per milIigram and that II takes 1000
| milligrams TO make one gram,
| our firm and all other firms are free
! from the criticism OF attempting to with
| hold or restrict the us- of radium by the
! public or physicians. Nor has our ra-
| dium been held AZ n prohibItive price
| II has required years al experiment and
| patient labor and great expense to evolv.
"A process for producing radiun IN "A guam
| tity as much as is humany possible.
III the Government adopts Secretary
| Lanes proposal at this time II will find
| that Or Howard \. Kelly, who owns IN,
| radium We have sold him and more o
| which we are under contract to furnish
| In addition to the supply which he has
purchase in Europe. will enjoy tn,
| financial advantage. He possesses NOR,
| rad.um than any other physician In this
| country.
| up to this time | have not observed
| any announcement from Or Kelly thai
! he means to renOunce such financIa
| advantage In case the Government take:
over the business OF producing radum.
| 1T will Ice M least two years more he
fore any physician can say that radiun
| In o specific for all forms of cancer, EN
| periments in our clinics in Pittsburg hav,
| satisfied us that radlum will cure super
| f,cial cancer. but 1t will require five YEAR,
| to determine whether or not the malg
nant cancer growth win rcappenr afte
treatment"