The Washington herald., 1915-07-25
Uncle Sam SHOULD NOT Have
to DEPEND on OTHER Lands
for Any MINERAL on Earth

mines, quarries, and wells is long. The
list Of what We lack ID short We are
wholly dependent on other countries for
only four principal items-tin and nickel,
potash and nitrate. Among the minerals
Of which the United States has deficient
supply are manganese. platinum, gems.
and asbestos. Still other minerals 1t has
heretofore been more profitable to buy
abroad than to produce at home, such as
chrome ore, barytes, flint pebbles. mag
nestle, mica and graphite.
These deficiencies create problems
relating to three different types or classes
Of minerals. In the first class, tin and
nickel only seem to present a hopeless
outlook and as q matter Of fact the
whole world Is poor in tin. Especially is
this scarcity felt in certain of the coun-
tries now at war, where the shortage due
to cessation Of imports is intensified by
the increased use Of tin in canning army
supplies. But we can look to South
America for tin ore and make its impor-
tation a foundation for profitable COM
merce with Bolivia. For nitrate We can
continue to rely upon Chile, but We
should develop our independence in re-
spect to this mineral by the manufacture
of nitrates from atmospheric nitrogen.
Opportunities for cheap hydroelectric de-
velopment will invite capital as soon as
Congress will legislate. For potash the
outlook Is less certain: thus far only one
potash-rich brine has been found-that
Of the Searles Lake deposits, in Cali
fornia-where potash occurs in even
greater quantity than that at first esti-
mated by the Geological Survey. but the
problem Of its commercial extraction has
not yet been fully solved by the chemical
engineer.
L. nIo
like-manganese and platinum, are stimu-
lating to the geologist and the engineer.
the one to discover, the other to develop.
The recent find in southern Nevada Of
rich platinum-bearing gold ore constitutes
a notable addition to the worlds supply
Of this too rare metal.
The third class of minerals, those
which It has paid better to buy from for
eign producers, probably furnishes the
largest incentive for the effort to secure
mineralogical independence. Here espe-
cially can the geologist and engineer Co
operate. Magnesite, mica, and graphite,
which large deposits have been found in
this country, yet up to the present time
they have been large items of import from
Austria. Canada. and India.
"As An encouraging instance Of miner
illogical independence, you may recall
that only about ten years ago this coun-
try imported its sulphur from Sicily.
whereas now, by reason Of the work OF
one engineer, the United States leads the
world In the mining Of sulphur. Can not
further success be expected In the utiliSa-
ton of mineral resources hitherto practi-
cally untouched?
The substitution Of certain minerals
of domestic origin for those bought In
foreign markets will bring US face to face
with the problem Of Standardization.
Price IL not the last word with the manu-
facturer-conBumer. This II . good time
to drop any ideas We may have Of indus
trial superiority and to copy for . while
the Industrial processes and standardized
products until they win markets In every
continent BY sheer superiority.
''The outlook for successful endeavor
by the American engineer seems very
brtsht"