The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1918-06-19

ters in the romance OF platinum, once
throwa away IS waste but now the
most soughe-after metal in the wor' d,
have been written since the war be-
gan. Nations are lighting for it. Ad-
venturers are risking their lives to OBJ
tain it. Women spies and diplomatic
agents are playing the game of inter-
national intrigue to control even an
ounce of the noble metal" IS it is
known to biologists, so valuable has
it become and so necessary to the
prosecution of the world war.
The United States government re-
Gently took a hand in the game by
Communicating all unworlled plati-
mum in this country, setting therefor
a price of sos an ounce, as compared
with $22 So ten years ago. Even this
action. however, has not obtained suffi-
Gent Of the metal for war purposes.
Officials who failed to heed the warn
ings of platinum experts at the begin
ming of the war are wondering how
they can retrieve their error in not
vigorously meeting the national neces-
sity by using every legitimate means
to obtain platinum. For, the total
amount of known platinum in the
world is only 100000 ounces, OF
which about one-fourth is in the Unit
ed States. Much of that is virtually
irreclaimable through use in dental
won sSszesr.-ss r 1881 ;nSuelry, and the
OUTPUT, since the Russian debacle, has
fallen to fraction of what it was in
times of peace.
1t is the last reason which is giving
officials SO much concern. Russia has
been the source of most of the worlds
platinum and, in 1918, was credited
with a production of 100000 Troy
c,!nces, Columbia with $4,000, New
Sortt', Wales and Tasmania 1875, I'm
tied States California and Oregon
being almost the only producing
states) only 483, Borneo and Sumatra
200 and Canada so.
| The German invasion of Russia gave
the enemy the opportunity of replen-
ishing his stocks of platinum, to the
detriment of the allies. Mining in
Russia virtually has ceased now, even
if the metal could be shipped out of
the country, and the world looks to
Columbia for platinum. Suggestions
for government monopoly of platinum
are before the Columbian congress.
Whatever action is taken, the fortunes
of war will mean wealth for the south
ern republic.
One of the most spectacular feats
of the war was the concentration Of
10000 ounces of platinum in Russia
by young mining engineer, attached
to the embassy there, who recognized
the Importance of obtaining the metal.
Each precious brick, wrapped in a
leather cover, was brought halfway
across the world to the United States
and turned over to the government
for use in the manufacture of sui
phuric acid, a constituent of explos-
ives. for the manufacture of contact
points in electrical apparatus and 9th
er uses necessary to war. An inter-
esting history of platinum is given by
the Latin-American division of the bu-
reau of foreign and domestic COM
merce.
Platinum was discovered in what is
now Columbia in 1855, by a Spaniard
named Don Antonio de Ulloa, who ac-
companied a French scientific expe-
dition, and his account of it was the
first information regarding the metal
to be brought to the attention of Eu-
ropeans. Its resistibility to acids and
the difficulty of working it were re-
marked upon. but it was not consider
ed to be nearly as precious as gold,
and was used at times by counterfeit
ers as a basis for coins. It was not
either mighty mean or mighty
fine folks.
Willie Hohenzollern started out be-
lieving that he was the greatest boy
on earth, and there was always that
withered arm to keep nagging at his
belief. 1t really was tough on a boy
Who was being taught that might is
right, and a Hohenzollefn can't have
TOO much Of Il. His affection logical
w made him the extraordinary child
that he was end the extraordinary
isyil that IS Tampa Times