The Glenwood post., 1917-12-15
ITS AN Ill WIND
BLOWS NO GOOD
Out Of Grim War Come Some
Advantages Which Will Bless
Us in Peace Times
CUTTING OFF IMPORTS

Washington, Dec. 13.-The United
States, under the dire stress of world
war, is awakening to new comm.rcial
possibilities in the way of new indus.
tries that will buy their raw materials
in this country instead of importing
them as in the past, adding thousands
of men to the payrolls and keeping mil
lions of dollars here, according to the
annual report of Van H. Manning, di.
rector of the bureau of mines, depart
ment of the interior, issued today. The
report discloses the extent the military
authorities have to depend in modern
warfare upon the mineral industry and
indicates in obtaining sufficient sup.
ply of mineral essentials from Ameri
can mines and American metallurgical
plants
Experts from the bureau have
searched the country far and wide for
the metals that would add strength tn
the military arm Of Uncle Sam and
have reported in most instances not
only an abundance Of these materials
but have added that these same metals
employed also in peaceful industry, can
be ueed to build up permanent indus,
tries in, the United States, perhaps de.
stroying for all time the dependence Of
the United Staten upon foreign .coun,
trfSs for necSssSf raw fteii,lls
These new industries have already
shown such growth as to add materially
s. to the American output and to bring
about diminishing importation of raw
materials. This condition, according to
bureau of mines officials, is equivalent
to the production of new tonnage for
the use of the United States, as many
vessels now bringing in raw materials
from foreign countries can be used for
more pressing war purposes.
1t may seem paradoxical that the
bureau of mines, created originally for
saving life in the mines, becomes in
war time an active aid in the prosccr,
tion of the military aims of the United
States, but here are some of the illuo
trations;
The bureau, cooperating with the
war department, sent C. L. Parsons,
chief chemist, to Europe to investigate
processes used there in the manufactu,e {
of nitrates, necessary in large quanti-
ties in war time in the making of ex.
plosives, and also used for fertilizer
His report and recommendation were
adopted in substance by the committee
on nitrate supply, and large plant for
the production of nitric acid for war
purposes and ammonia for agricultural
purposes is in process of erection. Ii
this plant does what the experts hope
it will do, all of the nitrates needed by
the United States, even in peace times,
will ultimately be made here, and it
will no longer be necessary to depend
upon Chile with the constant fear that
in times of war the supply may be cut
off by hostile fleet. Even if in peace
times the pant is not able to compete
with Chile as a source of nitric acid
itself, it can do so in fertilizer material
and this country will have the security
that in war time the nitrates can be
made here
With the present sharp decrease in
available ship tonnage and the partial
shutting down in shipments from Spain
of iron pyrites used in the manufacture
of sulphuric acid, the bureau of mines
was called upon to find the most avail
able pyrite resources in the United
States. The experts have now located
a number of promising pyrite mines and
steps have been taken to ensure full
domestic supply Of raw material for the
making sulphuric acid, which is abso.
lutely vital in war time. It is stated
by the bureau Is experts that an Ameri-
can industry supplied entirely by Amer.
lean raw material may be the perma.
nent outcome. Manganese, used for the
production Of high grade steel, i a.
other valuable piece of war mineral
that the bureau has been endeavorins
to and in great quantities in this eoun.
try, the steel industry being at present
dependent on Brasil for this ore. II
has taken quite = fleet Of sorely needed
vessels to bring this ore to The United