The Washington herald., 1914-01-12
lanes RADIUM
POLICY SCORED
No Need for Government to
+ Produce Substance,
Says Chemist.
PLENTY OF IT IN U. S.
]. M. Flanney. of Pittsburgh. Will
Tell Congress People Are Misled
About Real Output.

THE propose; of Secretary Lane to
have the government go into the business
Of producing radium for the cure of
cancer is extraordinary. because. on the
face Of 1t. It shows that neither the gov
ernment nor the public has the slightest
conception of the real situation regard
ing radium in this country"
This statement was made here yesterday
evening by Joseph NJ Flannery, who
comes from Pittsburgh. Pa. and is presi-
dent of a Pittsburgh chemical company,
a firm which he describes as the radium
pioneer Of the United States. Mr.. Flan-
merry came to Washington to protest
against Congress taking the action de-
sired by Mr.. Lane, and to explain to
Congress that there IL plenty Of radium
in this country.
Ostput Greatest In U. 8.
During the year Of 1914" he said.
''our company viii be able to place at
the disposal 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 400 per cent in excess OF the
radium production of the Austrian gov
ernment Austria Is famous for It's
radium. but that which We get from our
mines In Colorado alone Is greater IN
bulk than the supply Of the entire world
The annual radium output Of Europe
is at present only four grams, about one
seventh of an ounce.
Apparently, Mr.. Lane, few members
Of Congress, and the public have been
grossly misled concerning not only the
supply, but also the properties OF radium
have noticed In the many public inter-
views and statements a studied zeal 10
disregard the fact that there Is an Amer
lean supply of radium- / have noted also
the statement Of a physician that the
doctors of the United States are de-
pendent upon Europe for their radium
to be used in treating disease. This Is
absurdly misleading. We stand ready
to sell physicians the radium that they
want at the rate of between ten and
twelve grams a year.
"As a matter of fact. DR.. Howard A.
Kelly, of Baltimore. Md, is now buying
radium from us. Furthermore, the
Bureau OF Standards, in the Department
OF Commerce. 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 Penn
sylvania so that they might learn every
thing possible ABOUT inc Hnedsuiihs anu
OF radium.
The radium element. as matter OF
fact, is found in so many minerals that
there is absolutely no telling where the
would stop II it embarked
On its proposed enterprise Of producing
radium. There is no more reason, so
far as / can see. why the government
should 20 into the radium business for
curing cancer than there is for II to
take up the quinine business.
This fact must be remembered: IL
will take the government at least two
years to produce any radium at all. II
the government puts into effect the Lane
now. it would follow that DR..
Howard A. Kelly. possessing the radium
which we have sold him and are under
contract TO sell him, in addition to
small supply he bought in Europe. will
enjoy the financial advantage of pos
sessing more radium than any other ply
sician in the country. And up to date.
DIR. Kelly has issued no announcement
that he means to renounce such financial
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: 1t will be at least two years
more before any physician can say that
radium is a specific for all forms of can
Ger. and the government Is asked to con-
fscate the property of private individuals
and to embark on a policy OF tremendous
in the search for an unde-
termined thing.
Americans are producing more radium
and at a faster rate than anybody else.
And yet the newspapers have been
flooded with articles intended to convince
the public that there Is no radium here
and that, in order to relieve the situa-
ton, the government must go into the
mining business. That proposition is
funnier than a brand-new comic opera