The Raymer enterprise., 1918-01-10
Will BUY ALL raw
MATERIALS IN U. S.
Stress Of War Results in lnvesti.
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.
The United States, under the dire
stress Of world war, Is awakening to
new commeScial 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
hustry 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
Df new tonnage for the use Of the
United States.
Erecting Large Plant.
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 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 c. 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
mittee on nitrate supply, and large
plant for the production of nitric acid
for war purposes and ammonia for az
ricultural purposes is In process Of
erection. II this plant does what the
experts hope 1t will do, all Of the nj
trates needed by the United States.
even In peace times. will ultimately be
made here. and II 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 plant
Is not able to compete with Chile as
source Of nitric acid itself, 1t can do
so In fertilizer material and this eoun-
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 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. II 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 Manganese.
Manganese, used for the production
Of high-grade steel, is another valuable
peace and war mineral that the bu-
reau has been endeayoring to find In
great quantities In this country. the
steel industry being at present depend
ent on Brazil for this ore. II has taken
quite feet Of sorely needed vessels
to bring this ore to the United States.
w. c. Phalen, mineral technologlst.
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. So
promising Is this situation. 1t is inti-
mated that some Of the vessels now
carrying ore from Brazil mny soon be
released for other vital purposes.
1t now looks very much as II the
United States has already permanent
~ established potash industry as a
result Of Germany cutting OF her ship
ments long before this country went to
war. Having depended heavily upon
Germany. which has great natural
deposit Of potash. this country was at
once thrown upon Its own resources
for this necessary material. and bu-
reau experts, in cooperation with
those Of other bureaus, started to find