The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-01-25
WAR TAKES MOST
OF COPPER OUTPUT
At Opening Of HostiIities Industry
Used Nine-Tenths of That
Produced.
1916 YIELDS $4,000 TONS
onited States Now Able to Mine
2.ao0, 100000 Pounds 4 Year
CurtaiIment Feared After
the War Ends.

New GOrk.-AuthOritieS on the cop
per trade estimate that approximately
20 per cent OF the worlds present pro.
auction is being used for war purposes,
The remaining . per cent going into
commercial consumptive channels as
before the war began. At the outbreak
of hOstilities, it is estimated no more
than TO per cent of the copper pro
duced by all the countries with depos-
rs OF the metal went into the manu-
faeture of war material. The peace
tul trades used up 80 per cent, and
this proportion existed for several
years before the upheaval in Europe.
These are significant figures, particu-
:arly as regards the market for copper
after the war ends. The United States
produced copper in the autumn
months at the annual rate of
2.4oO,OO0,0OO pounds, compared with
about 1,9O0,000.O0O turned out in all
Of 1916. In July, 1914, the mines and
relneries OF the country were turning
out the metal at the rate Of LOO. 0OO,-
UOO pounds yearly. From the begin
ming Of the war TO the present time,
then. production has been increased
TO0,000,0O0 pounds. This increase
alone is greater than the entire pro-
duction of the rest Of the world at
the present rate Of output.
With talk of peace in the air, it is
natural that copper producers and con-
sumers alike should devote a great
deal of thought to what may come
when the treaty Of peace is signed.
With three-quarters of all the metal
Of the world going into munitions, il
IS plain enough that a tremendous al.
teration Of market and consumption
plans will come with peace. 1t is only
natural to assume that prices will re-
fleet substantially the change of con-
ditions, hut copper men are not per-
suaded that there will be anything like
slump. There will also be need for
Il drastic curtailment of production IN
less peace demands should suddenly
expand TO a level OffSetting the war
demand, which experts in the trade
hardly expect.
Next Six Months Output Sold.
The sellers of copper say they are
quite comfortable about conditions for
the first half of this year. They have
reason to be so, for practically all the
expected output has been sold, and
sold on Arm" contracts-that is, con-
tracts which call for delivery ami pay
ment whatever may be the conditions
marketwiSe. Ii the war lasts beyond
July l, the copper companies main-
tain, business must continue good for
the allied governments have to come
10 the United States for their supplies
if they are to he adequate to the de-
maRds of the armies. 1t is clear, there
fore, that the duration of the conflict
is the vital factor in the copper trade,
not only as regards consumption this
year, but part of next year as well.
Copper prices after the war, in the
opinion of a leading seller. will not
be governed solely by the law of sup
ply and demand az hinged Oh war Op-
arati0nS. They will be affected sub
stantially by the attitude of the Amer
lean producer toward foreign buyers
who come seeking the metal for COM
mercial uses. 1t is estimated that Ger
many, Austria, Turkey and Serbia are
producing copper at the rate of 100,-
00O,0 900 pounds Il year, all of which, and
more, is going into the war machine.
Such reports On conditions i'll the Cens
trail powers as are available show that
these nations have raked and scraped
the countries over for ali copper i'm
elements, which means that in the end
vast requirements will need to be
made of these supplies. The cop
per cooking utensils for. 100 years or
more roofs of churches and dwelling
houses; electrical implements and rail
road and telegraph supplies have been
thrown into the melting pot. In 1913
Germany and Austria imported from
this country 500,OO0,0O0 pounds of cop
per, and while a part OF this probably
went into war reserves, much of the
metal was bought for manufacturing
curtaiiment Of Buying Expected.
These factors of reduced supplies
and the known movement of copper
into the central powers in times of
peace lead up to the part which Amer
lean producers will need TO play. A
great deal of the replacemcntss-doubt
less, will have TO be made in these
and other European countries, what
ever may be the cost. But it stands
TO reason, as copper men see it, that
high prices and diffident selling meth
dds will tend to curtail buying, espe-
cially if the nations Of Europe have
financial difficulties to solve. Ameri-
can copper interests are aware that
have been organized in sew
eral countries of Europe TO devise ways
and means of caring for their needs
on an economical basis after the
war. These organizations, with gov
cooperation, obviously are
laying pans to buy their metal at
prices favorable TO themselves or TO
restrain buying if prices are not suit
able.
With the thought in mind that gov