Evening star., 1918-08-04
BY JAMES B. MORROW.

BY JAMES B. MORROW.
~ TRANCE men, not Identified 50
far, except perhaps by the se-
cret service, travelling from city
to city, have been buying up
platinum scrap.
The War Industries Board has es-
tablished the price of sos an ounce
for platinum. The strange men have
been paying $3.50 an ounce commonly.
In some instances they gave consid-
srably moro.
Are they specula.ors? Washington
does not believs that they are. There
10 no reason to think that the gov.
srnment price will be advanced. At
sos an ounce platinum il hve times
more valuable than gold. which Tor
many years has been selling In the
markets Of the world at s2o.67 an
ounce.
The strange men. 1t 10 thought. are
agents Of Germany. Platinum scrap
Consists Of points taken from the
magnetos Of automobiles. Of wire and
small bits collected at Laboratories
and Of shavinss and tiny pieces found
In the workshops of electricians ana
jewellers.
In the aggregate a great deal OF
scrap could be and has been obtained
By thoroughly combing the country.
Platinum IL 50 scarce in Germany that
IL has been taken from the teeth OF
the male and female Inhabitants. 1t
as 50 scarce everywhere that the price
has risen from S44.ss in 1913 to S1o5
an ounce In 1918. A war metal. it is
being sought in every part OF the
world by the twenty -odd beltgerents.
Three-fourths OF the platinum re.
ing Of explosives and weapons Is COM
posed Of scrap and sweepings pro-
cured from jewelers., dentists, chem-
lists, electricians and manufacturers.
Before the United States went to
var the eonsum9si1r, anatr,os Q. sap amountsd o TO
5000, 900 tons yearly. It is now 10000
600 tons. It requires from 800 to 400
ounces Of platinum for an acid plant
with productive capacity OF 1oo'ooo
The writer is not competent to ex-
plain the chemical processes followed
In the manufacture of sulphuric and
nitric acids. Nor would an explana.
ton, II made, At into this article. 1t
should be said. however, that platinum
acids, The metal is used over and
over again. There is some loss mean
while, but it Is not large.
The visible stock of platinum in the
United States is sufficient for the war
ships now af1oat and for the troops
now in the field. But it Is not enough
for an army of 100000 men In
France. So the price was advanced
far beyond. any price ever offered
previously for the purpose. mainly.
Of drawing out the invisible supplies
within the country.
munition factories in che United
States, placing bombs In American
ships, fomentinge war between this
nation and Mexico and attempting to
incite the Germans in this country to
arm themselves and attack the gov
ernment that sheltered them and put
roofs over their heads and bread and
meat into their mouths, they were also
engaged In getting possession of all
the platinum they could find. openly
and secretly. The strange men here
tofore mentioned are, In the opinion
have bought great deal of platinum.
not in the hope OF smuggling it across
the Atlantic, but with the purpose of
hiding 1t and placing 1t beyond the
reach of the United States govern
ment. either for it's own use or the
use of France. Great Britain and Italy.
This surreptitious buying was given
new stealth and energy after America
declared war on Germany. The alien
spies, incendiarfes. bomb-makers and
murderers. including the 6ishonorable
and lying Won Bernstorif. Prussian
ambassador. were either sent to the
peuitentiary or kicked out Of the
cauntrvG Ruf n eraod many. undfscOv.
cred scoundrels remained to werk and