New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-10

destruction OF life ana property VII
the battle fronts of Europe to-day
depend quite as much on copper Tor
their efficiency as did the crudely
wrought weapons CT the savage tribes
of prehistoric times.
The warriors of olden times tipped
their darts and pointed their spears
with copper heads. Now copper Is
used in hundreds of ways in the con-
struction of the wonderful projec-
tiles that are hurled from the big
throated guns on land and sea.
Some idea of how important a part
copper plays in twentieth century
warfare is had from the fact that
the United States government, IN
order to carry out its plans for par
t.cipating in the struggle against
Germany, will soon place orders for
100000, 900 pounds of the metal with
the large producing interests in this
country. The purchase of this amount
will be in addition 10 the 45,OOO,OO0
pounds which the copper companies,
shortly after the war with Germany
was declared, arranged to let the
government have for the immediate
needs Of the army and navy depart
ments.
Exports Run Into
Large Totals
Hundreds of millions of pounds Of
copper have been exported from the
United States in one form or another
TO Great Britain, France, Russia and
Italy for war purposes in the last
two years and a half. Other coun-
tres have contributed their share to
the ever-increasing demand for the
metal.
The value Of exports from the
United States in 1916 was $780,
676,OOO and in 1915 1925, $4,000, a
total Of S355.S13,00O, compared with
a total Of S262,O97, 900 for the two
years preceding. For the first three
months of this year the value of cop
per exports was 96,698,000, COM
pared with SCI $4,000 for the cor
responding period in 1916.
No reliable figures have been COM
ried to show just how much copper
is blown into irretrievable atoms
when the great guns along the West
eIn front of Europe bark forth their
ugly challenges. But the copper
bands around the shrapnel shells
hurled by the thousands on their
mission of destruction in these great
artillery duels represent a good many
thousands of pounds. Besides, there
are the millions of brass shells on
which the guns of smaller calibre feed
and the rife cartridges dealt out
each day when the fighting is on in
earnest, in rounds Of hundreds Of
millions. all of which means copper
and more copper-for brass consists
Of two portions of copper and one OF
zinc.
Copper, in fact, enters in one way
or another into the manufacture of
nearly all war necessities, even as in
times Of peace it touches at some
point nearly every industrial process.
Every machine shop or factory en-
gagged in the production Of NUM-
tons. small arms or naval supplies
Is consuming copper in some form.
The electrically driven machinery
which is used in the construction of
great warships and the more delicate
fittings and adjustments on subma-
rines and U-boat chasers represent
enormous tonnages of copper.
Should the United States govern
,nent carry out its plan to build a
large fleet Of wooden vessels it is
estimated that the amount of copper
sbeathing required will approximate
100000 pounds.
Mining Projects
Are Stimulated
Competitive buying on an unpar-
alleled scale resulting from the UNI
usual demands for war purposes has
caused an extraordinary advance in
the price Of the metal, and this in
turn has stimulated production in all
payts of the world to an extent which