Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-19
Representative Fosters Plea
Supporting His Contention
... for Conserving Radium

In advance of the hearing before the
House committee on mines and mining
today, Rep. esentative Foster of Illinois,
the champion of the proposition to con-
serve the countrys supply of the Won
derful canotite ore which produced RAJ
dunn, issued a statement in support Of
his contention.
Il cannot believe" said he, that the
state of Colorado will oppose any plan to
stop the ravages of cancer in this coun-
try The disease is levying a toll OF
900 lives a year.
THE deaths from cancer each week in
the United States represent a tragedy as
great as the sinking Of the Titanic-ffty
such tragedies in yeas time: We
but Colorado has. within her boundaries.
on the public domain. a mysterious, magic
power that gives every evidence of its
ability to stop this continuous and ever
Increasing death roll from cancer.
Some of those who are opposing the
withdrawal of the land declare that suf-
fering humanity will not be deprived Of
this great boon If private parties exploit
these o. eS. Well, we can only judge from
what has happened.
TT was less than a year ago that the
bureau Of mines made the discovery that
tons and tons of this precious ore had
been shipped from Colorado to Europe
and that no radium had ever been made
in the United States. In the year 1912
sufficient Of this ca. hottie ore to make
nine grams of radium, the cream of the
deposits, was shipped to Europe, while
the total radium in this country at the
present time is less than two grams.
I'VE shipped this wonderful carnotite
at iron ore prices, and then our surgeons
bought the radium back at diamond
prices. We are now making radium in
the United States, but l understand
that most of this, too, is going to Eu-
rope. l have Just heard of a contract
with an American firm for six grams
of radium for Europe. to be delivered
gram a month. In the meantime. the
surgeons Of this country, who have
alternative of selecting between the pa
tents on whom 1t will be used.
THE case of my honored colleague
Robert 6. Bremner is most pathetic
appeal for more radium. I am told that
his cure would be far more certain II
DR.. Howard A. Kelly had ten grams Of
radium at his disposal rather than one
gram. And while we have been planning
what best should be done to protect
American interests properly, radium has
gone up in price from $4,000 a gram to
100000.
For Limited Acreage Only.
81 am not appealing that all the ra-
dunn should be retained in the United
States That would be as selfish and
| inhuman as the opposition Of some OF
| the people Of Colo. ado appears to me. I
am simply pleading that very limited
acreage of the public domain in Colo
| RADIO containing carnotite ores be set
aside, not for reservation from use but
| for immediate development, to insure
the American people getting the radium
| they need at the least possible cost
| and with the least possible delay.
| Il am told that an additional half
| gram of radium will mean the saving
| Of human life every day in the year.
| Isn't that worth striving for?
| Some of those who are against he
withdrawal Of these lands are saying
| that it is another plan o. the :
| tionists; it means the locking up of the
lands the killing Of great industry.
i The only conservation involved Is the
! conservation of 5000 human lives In a
| years time; the conservation of the 800
| lives yearly in the state of Colorado.
Instead of the locking up of the land
| and the killing Of a great industry. the
plan means the immediate development
of the land and the fostering of an in
! dustry, not a great industry, for the min
| ing of carnotite will never amount to
that"