The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1918-03-08
WILL BUY ALL RAW
MATERIALS IN Us.
Stress Of War Results in lnvestl-
cations by Uncle Sam
Ample Supply.
TO KEEP MILLIONS HERE
New Commercial Possibilities In Way
Of Industries May Add Thousands
Of Workmen to Pay Rolls
Of Factories.

Of Industries May Add Thousands
Of Workmen to Pay Rolls
Of Factories.
The United States, under the dire
stress of world war, is awakening to
new commercial possibilities in the
way Of new Industries that will buy
their raw materials In this country in
stead of importing them as In the past,
adding thousands Of men to the pay
rolls and keeping millions Of dollars
here, according to the annual report of
Van Fl. Hanning, director Of the bureau
of mines, department Of the. interior.
The report discloses the extent the
military authorities have to depend in
modern warfare upon the mineral in
dustry and indicates in cautious way
the part being taken by the bureau Of
mines in obtaining sufficient supply
Of mineral essentials from American
mines and American metallurgical
plants.
Experts from the bureau have
searched the country far and wide for
the metals that would add strength to
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 met
ais, employed also in peaceful indus
try, can be used to build up permanent
Industries in the United States, per-
haps destroying for all time the de-
pendence Of the United States upon
foreign countries for necessary raw
materials. These new industries have
already shown such growth as to add
materially to the American output.
This condition, according to the bureau
officials, is equivalent to the production
Of new tonnage for the use Of the
United States,
Erecting Large Plant. 3D..
It 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 prosecu-
ton Of the military aims Of the United
States, but here are some Of the Illus
trations:
The bureau, cooperating with the
war department, sent G. L. Parsons,
chief chemist, to Europe to investigate
processes used there in the manufac-
ture Of nitrates, necessary in large
quantities in war time in the making
of explosives, and also used for ferti-
lizer. His report and recommendation
were adopted in substance by the COM
nittee on nitrate supply, and a large
plant for the production of nitric acid
for war purposes and ammonia for ag-
ricultural purposes is in process OF
erection. If this plant does what the
experts hope it will do, all Of the nj
trates needed by the United States,
even In peace times, will ultimately be
made here, and 1t 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
feet. Even If In peace times the plant
is not able 10 compete with Chile as a
source Of nitric acid itself, it can do
SO in fertilizer material and this coun-
try 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 man.
ufacture of sulphuric acid, the bureau
of mines was called upon to find
the most available pyrite resources in
the United States. The experts have
now located q number of promising
pyrite mines and steps have been taken
to insure full domestic supply of raw
material for the making Of sulphuric
acid, which is absolutely vital in war
time. 1t is stated by the bureaus ex-
perts that an American industry sup
piled entirely by American raw ma
terial may be the permanent outcome.
| supply OF WaH9dHeec'
Manganese, used for the production
of high-grade steel, is another valuable
peace and war mineral that the bu-
reau has been endeavoring to find In
great quantities in this country, the
steel industry being at present depend
ent on Brazil for this ore. 1t has taken
quite q fleet of sorely needed vessels
to bring this ore to the United States
w. @. Phalen, mineral technologist,
has already visited the chief man.
ganese producing divisions of the
country, and his report is that CON
siderable proportion of the nations
requirements can be supplied. Sc
promising is this situation, it is init
mated that some of the vessels now
carrying ore from Brazil may soon be
released for other vital purposes.
1t now looks very much as If the
United States has already permanent
ly established n potash industry as O
result Of Germany cutting off her ship
ments long before this country went tc
war. Having depended heavily upon
Germany, which has a great natural
deposit of potash, this country was al
once thrown upon its own resources
for this necessary material, and bu
reau experts, in cooperation with
those of other bureaus, started to fine
If possible the raw materials in this
country. Such success has ATTENDED
their effort, especially in obtaining
potash from the dust of cement mills
that 1t is declared the United States
will no longer be dependent upon any
foreign country for its potash supply