The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-03-19

tHyncrela OF discussion by Hcorfcl
otis smith, director, uplted states
o~eoloeicai survey. before New York
section OF American Institute OF min
ina eneinecrs. New York, March s.,
.fsis.)
For more than half a year we
have watched tho Adjustments and re-
adjustments OF American industries
70 meet new conditions. Six months
ago the United states eeolCgical sur
vey suggested. By the publication OF
Bulletin 500, tho extent 10 which
Americas mineral reserve could be
drawn upon TO meet the emergency
apd indeed TO strengthen the position
OF the United States az a world power
In Industry and commerce. To-day,
az q nation, We face an even greater
fcisis In a commercial relations, 20
that a discussion Of national iade-
pendenee Is especially opportune.
AS a nation We began with a dec
laration of Independence leading TO
an experiment IL acknowledgements
| government on "a LARGE scale In a
string OF colonial s%euiencnts con-
nected only In a crude way by post
roads n coastwiae sailing vessels,
and perhaps even more feeoly united
by bonds OF common lce or creed.
Net hat political independence was
the breath OF life IN the new nation,
and the ideal then set up attracted
the best human material from all
lands. Thus we may say was devel-
Oped Americas eroatest resource, a
progressive eltizenry.
The other element necessary TO
maze America great Is material re-
sources-thc earth and the fullness
thereof. DO not discount the wealth
OF our forests which have contributed
~ largely to u foreign and domestic
trade since colonial days. nor do
disregard the bounty of our soil which
enables us In these days OF waste ana
war TO iced the peoples OF Europe as
we'll as ourselves, yet I believe the
mineral wealth OF the United states
Is IN largest measure the foundation
ol the marvellous srowth of the last
low decades. Industrial Americu!-
shink to what degree the industries OF
America are based on our ores and
mineral fuels. or agurc. II you VIII,
the percentage of railroad tonnage
hat originates az the mine,
Not only ~ our country a world
leader in the output OF such essential
minerals as coal, petroleum, copper,
zine. iron. lead. phosphate-and IN
three OF these II exceeds ali other
/ countries put togcthcr-but as tar az
such things can be measured or est
mated We are blest In the possession
OF the largest reserves of many OF the
more important OF these minerals,
No other country can, In my sense,
! compare with the United states In the
| degree of Industrial Independence al
forded by the possession Of these min
eral resources. The raw material Il
at hand TO enable us to win and MAIN
tain supremacy as a manufacturing
nation.
yet under this most favored nation
clause. the CATALOGUES OF a mineral
resources ~ not tna complete list OF
minerals essential to modern civilixa-
I ton; n few items are missing. Others
are present apparently only In insult
ncient quantities. aud the quality or
locality Of the deposits Of still otheI
minerals may be uufayorable 10 pres
ent-day utilization. Thus It happens
that the nation is not wholly indie.
pendent In it's mineral industry, and
no problem better deserves the atten'
ton of the American mining engineers
than this. How can We nll these gaps
and thus make America more truly
independent?
The catalogue of the products OF
our mines, quarrios, and Wells Is long,
The list OF what We lack IL short. We
are wholly dependent on other coun-
tries for only four PRINCIPAL Items
tin and nickel. potash and nitrate.
Among the minerals Of which the
United States has a deficient supply
are manganese. platinum, gems, and