The Washington times., 1915-12-18

foIeieners who write Of our country
often engage in facetious u moi sCorh-
ful comment upuon our bolnbaStic man
ner of telling the story of our Srowth
and of the things achieved or possessed.
They fail unfortunately to see iar
enough into the secret of our pride.
70 have taken The prize for the lar2est
pumpkin at the county fair. or to nave
mine. or to have built the highest dam
IN the world-such things orc to us al.
ventures. which make tho game tl
opening new country worth while.
Learns of Assets.
Some months since | sought 70 learn
what | could Of the assets OF this coun-
try as they might be 'evealed by this
department: where we we're in point
of development. and what we had with
which to meet the world which was
teaching us that war was no longer SGT
contest between more or less mobile
armed forces but an enduring contest
between all the life forces of the con-
testing parties. their financial strength
their industrial organization and adapt
ability. their crop yields. and their MN
eral resources, and that it ultimately
comes to a test Of the verS genius of
the peoples involved. And out of the
reports then made these facts stand
out:
'rhe United States produces every
=
this can be said of no other tountry,
We produce Sc per cent OF the world
output OF petroleum, 80 per cent of its
copper, 40 per cent of its coal and iron,
and 80 per cent Of its lead and zinc. Tin
in small quantities is produced in Alas
ka and platinum in oregon. Nevada.
and California. manganese in Virginia.
Georgia, Arkansas, and California: but
of these latter minerals, as of nickel
and some others of less Importance. our
supply is altogether inadequate for our
consumption. We can build a battle
ship. or an automobile excepting the
from the products Of American mines
and forests.
To replenish the soil we have phos-
phorus in abundance, potash is known
to exist in the deposits of Searles Lake.
California. which. however. is not vet
commercially available. and in aluni,e
wnere II Is combined with ALUMINIUM
and deposits of which are found In
several States: and nitrogen can be ex-
tracted from the air b. cheap hydro
electric power. as is now done in IN
many. Norway, and elsewhere. So tina [
we can feed the earth and keep it SUI
tanned.
Climate Aids Growers.
our soil and climate are so varied
that We can produce all the grains,
fruits. vegetables. and fibers known TO
lle t'ihlVi dIe Ioic, anu SoHle lOunO III
the semi-tropics.
And to crown all these. we have
water power that can be made to gen
crate perhaps as much as 6oOOOOO
horsepower.
The Territory of Alaskc containing
perhaps 4oo.oco.o"o acres. is now the great
body Of public domain. 1t is heavily
mincraliZed and is land OF unknown
possibilities. One gold mine there has
recently erected a mill of 6.1o0 tons daily
capacitv. with ore in sight to rrn this
nil! for fifty years.
The waters that flow idly to the sea
could be made to support not less than
y. 100000 people II turned upon the land
that otherwise will remain pasture land
or altogether worthless. The demon
stration has been given that tho lands
Of little rain can he made more fruitful
than those where the rainfall is abun-
6ant. Land and water we have: the
problem of bringing them together Is
one only OF money.
Saves Gas Supply.
When the war in Europe shut of Ger.
tain chemical supplies. one of our chem.
lists. Mr. Rittman. found now process
which has been given to the public by
which benzol and toluol the foundation
OF aniline dyes and explosives. and gaso.
line may be made from crude petroleum
Mr.. Parsons and Mr.. Moore have de-
vised and proved a process for the re,
duction Of radium from carnotite ores
An oil expert. Mr.. Pollard. was put Ia
the task OF saving the billions OF feet
of gas wasting dailv into the air from
the oil wells Of Oklahoma. and was sue.
cessful. Mr. Cottrell has devised A
method OF taking solids and LIQUIDS out
of smelter smoke. such as sulDhuric
acid. arsenic. zinc and lead
During the past fifty wears the people
OF the United States have uttered two.
thirds of all the revolutionary epoch.
making inventions Of the world. rang.
ing from the telephone and the incan.
descent lamp to Wrieht's aeroplane anC
high-speed steel Each DAY we issue ar
average OF 200 letters patent to Ameri
can inventors. and tho number Of inven
tions Is increasing with the years,