Mohave County miner., 1917-01-20
REPORT MADE BY
 EXPERT OH COPPER
Continued from Page one)

that at least the producJlon or copper before the war will be needed after the war for industrial purposes plus the large requirement for restoration. Should the war terminate by or before July 1, next, the markets of the world will be quite bare of stocks unsold.
 The allied governments have drained the sources of supply in this country to that date and they have contracted for the entire output of Australia through all of next year. The foreign governments, therefore, have in their complete control a very large part fthe worlds production of copper through all of next year, and if the war should continue it is only a question of time when they will want to make sure their supply for the second half of next year from this country and then the supply available for them is sure to be considerably less than they will need, provided, of course, they are expecting to need as much in the second half of next year as they have arranged for in the first half.
 The governments having corralled this copper are not likely to let any of it go out of their possession so that it can be used in any other than the ally countries.
 Should an armistice be arranged it undoubtedly will be the policy of the governments to continue right on in making munitions until the peace treaty binding on all the belligerents has been signed, and it is the opinion of those well informed that thereafter there will continue to go into muni- tions large quantities of copper, in that contracts have been made that are irrevocable for all kinds of mu- nitions deliverable through the first half of next year, and the govern ments will unquestionably want to op- crate some of the plants in their home countries in their own control to provide stock of ammunition before indefinitely closing them down; it is thought that this condition will pre- vail even though complete disarma- ment should be decided on.
 The present indications favor a con- ference of the belligerents, but just when this conference is to be ar ranged, no one can say, and it is sure to be the case that several months will elapse between the time that the ne- gotiations begin and a peace treaty binding on all of the belligerents is signed, because of all of the endless details and matters of immense impor- tance that must be considered and de- cided on looking to guaranteeing an era of peace throughout Europe for generations to come.
 If this peace treaty is to be conclud- ed within the next few months it is a sure thing that there will be no more purchases of copper by the allies in any such quantities as heretofore. Car rying this thought step further, if the peace treaty is signed before the first of July the allied governments are sure of their supply of copper, but there will be none available for the central powers.
 If, on the other hand, the peace treaty is not signed by the first of July, it is only question of time when the allies must and will again enter the market for copper and brass with which to supply their requirements thereafter.
 The supply of copper for the first half of the year has been cleaned up to such an extent that only the cur rent production from July 1 forward will be available; this supply will be altogether insufficient to take care of the demand for war and at the same time provide enough for the steadily growing domestic use.
 If an armistice is decided on there will likely be a considerable let up in general business, but deliveries to the governments will go right on as the contracts for copper are not subject to cancellation.
 It can therefore be stated with cer- tainty that the market could not be in safer or sounder position than 1t is from the point of view of supply and demand, for the next six months, and that is a much longer period ahead than in former times it has been pos sible to forecast.
 It must be remembered that when the war ends all the mills and fac- tories using copper and brass in peace times throughout all of Europe will be equipped exclusively with war ma -Ts II