New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-14

ing that tho American Navy specifies
the best grade Of armor plate. which
contains 3 per cent Of tungsten metal,
the supply would be inadequate TO an
absurd degree. according 10 one of the
best naval authorities IN Europe.
An indication Of what the shortage
means financially may be gathered
from the present prices. To-day tung
stem stands in the United States al
81 800 ton, and | am told that mining
operations In the Northwest are At 81
stsndstill, for the reason that the
lips" for dredges. made from tung
stem, cannot he obtained. In England
the price ia 5000 ton.
The predicament of the United
States is freely discussed in steel cir
cles here. How much Of the comment
is true do not pretend to know
will retail il as it il spoken. Doubt
less the authorities at Washington will
be able 70 separate the wheat from the
chat.
THE American Navy, Department has
t ssTT m "e.R fhey b"d an opportunty to
secure the output Of certain neutral
mines a short time ago, and let 1t pass
simply because they always have left
the purchase Of tungsten to the com
panics which build their ships. The
price then was much lower, too
"The steel trust has the government
at it's mercy and can decide whether
or not the United States shall have
a navy. understand that some OF
the steel concerns have n lot OF vana-
dunn steel on hand which they are
anxious TO unload and intend 20 use
the present situation TO force the gov
eminent into using vanadium armor
plate, which is decidedly inferior. IN
it's new vessels"
One statement which has been made
repeatedly, and which come from
sources regarded as entirely reliable,
is that the naval people at Washing
ton are greatly worried over the mat
ter and have no idea what 20 do
about it.
Another perfectly natural inquiry IS,
How does Germany get along, with
her tiny deposits ,"
From three men who have followed
the business for years | have had the
same explanation. II ia this: Before
the war Germany acted as broker in
tungsten products for the whole world.
Practically ali of the wolfram mined
was shipped to Germany, ard there
the tungsten was manufactured and
distributed TO armament makers.
English manufacturers. a well "a
those in America, obtained this class
of materials from the Germans, who
were adopts at producing high grade
tungsten. Therefore, il is pointed out,
while Germany was carrying on her
extensive preparations for the great
war her first thought would be TO
smass stock Of tungsten which would
be ample for her use, however long
the war might last.
There is nothing TO show hOw much
wolfram the Germans stored up against
their need. but that is the generally
accepted solution u is said that the
powerful German guns contain an un-
usual percentage of this metal. which
accounts for their remarkable life
Tungsten also is used in the manu-
fscture Of incandescent light hlaments
and in telephone apparatus, a. well as
in the textile industry in the latter
TO very limited extent. In 1911 the
United States produced but 9li tons
Of wolfram. and the 1918 figures are
placed at about l,500 tons.
SO much for what European eXperts
are saying. The question that con
Germs the people Of the United States,
and which the naval authorities can
host answer i "UOw about ID p"