Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-14
MATERIALS FROM WHOLE
WORLD IN AUTOMOBILES
Lack of Transportation Has Hit Man.
ufacturers Hard Blow in Pro.
curing Supplies.
WAR TAKES STEEL SUPPLY
While Rubber Importation Is Linn
tied. American Scientists and Met
aliurgists Arc Rapidly Developing
: Sources of Domestic Supply.

If he were not 100 per cent patriot
tho American automobile manufactures
would find it easy to sympathize with
the war lords OF Germany. who have
been driven TO such desperate meas
ures by the shortage OF raw materials
that they now have seized all the metal
door knobs in the c-azcd kaiscr's king
dom for use in the making OF am
munition.
For the maker Of motor cars IS hav-
ing his own troubles III getting the
materials he needs for even a curtailed
production The situation was never
as acute as it is to-day. although the
automobile manufacturer felt the pinch
OF the war boot long before Uncle Sam
made his epochal and sacred covenant,
10 win OF die with the allies in their
ngh; for world democracy.
In fact. recent war measures OF the
Eovernmeni-ihe requisition OF about
four-ffths OF the total steel output for
military needs and the restriction Of
crude rubber imports FOR 1918 10 about
100000 tons-havc only served to make
fve-year-old problem more difficult
az solution. as far as the automobile
manufacturer and the maker Of parts
PRODUCTS ENTERING INTO
AUTO COME FROM WHOLE WORLD
at is not difficult to explain this
unprecedented shortage OF raw ma
teriais. either past or present. If YOU
apply geography TO the problem.' said
George NJ Dickson OF Indianapolis.
one of the pioneers OF the automobile
industry. For YOU will find that the
products entering into the manufac-
."ture OF an automobile come from all
parts OF the world.
After nNing the widely scattered
sources OF supply, these additional
facts mus; be taken into consideration.
Several OF the countries that formerly
produced automobile material, inClud-
ing France. Belgium, Germany and
austria. are now exclusively engaged
in the business of war, a war that has
enslaved their miners and metallurG-
lists III the trenches and dealt death
blow 10 their intcrnationa trade.
: The neutral nations also have been
hard hit. Not only have the German
submarines been menace TO shipping
but many OF the boats that once piled
between these countries and the United |
States with metals, rubber and other
automobile materials are now being
used for the transport Of foodstuffs
and military supplies
The steel market is typical of con-
ditions that have resulted in the scar
past flvc years Before the outbreak
OF the world war. three OF the most
important alloys used in the produce
ton of steel came from forc:sn coun-
tries-ferro- manganese and chromium
from Austria and Germany. and tuug-
stem from the South American rcDuh
lies BORDERING the Caribbean Sea. Bel
Sian steel also was extensively used
" the building or hich-spced motors.
TUNGSTEN MINING ROOMS
IN SEVERAL PARTS or L. =.
The war. however. stopped the eN
portation Of ferro-mangancsc and
chromium from Europe and limited
the shipments OF tungsten from South
America. other sources of supply had
10 he found and new mines developed.
The titanic struggle across the At
lantic was still young when tungsten
mining in this country experienced
boom. Colorado fields, which once
were considered unworthy Of eNploita-
tion because of the low percentage of
metal they would yield, became VERT
table FL Dorudos within a year.
The automobile. before il is assem-
Nlcd, is a sort OF international hash.
Much OF the fine wood that is used for
trimming the car-Circassian and
black walnut ana ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
from South American forests; France.
Russia and Argentina Contribute thou
sands OF hides annually for automobile
gredicnt OF the porcelain cores for
spark plugs The tiremaker depends
on Brazil and the Malay Peninsula
for crude rubber and exports cotton
from the South Sea Islands 70 tougher
the casing fabric. Holland and other
flax-raisinE countries supply the lin
seed oil that enters into the manu-
facture of paint. and !he Dutch East
Indies produce the gum that is the base
OF all varnisnes.
iNn nat
represented IN this international pot
pourri Of raw materials. The Tamp.co
district is prolihc in a cactuSlik weed
the nnely shredded leaves OF which
make an excellent substitute for nat
ural hair. THIS is used FOR stuhing the
cushions OF lOw-Dr!ccd cars
THE war has had both "A good and
bad effect on the top material market.
some top materials and all artificial
feathers are hyproduCt OF guncotton,
and the supply OF this Is almost un-
limited with our munition plants
WORKING day ana night Another in
grcdient OF top material. however. is
castor oil. and ;here is Il scarcity OF
this due TO the fact that II is used for
lubricatir2 the airplares OF the allied
army aViatOrs.
WAR MAKES TRIMMER
MORE EASILY SUITED
AS d result OF the war the auto
as he used 10 he. He once insisted
that the purchasing agent buy only
French and Russian hides. They we're
large in size and without the cattle
owners brand. and ne believed that
they were easier TO cut and that little
leather WAS wasted III that cutting
soon after the Invasion or Belgium
however. French and Russian hides
were not TO be had and the automo-
bile trimmer vas forced TO work with
the larger hides from South America
and this country. lie was surprs et
to learn that the American leather was
superior and better adapted 10 his
needs.
There is no reason for the present
aluminium shortaGc, despite the fac
that the French aluminium fields are
temporarily unproductive and the
present demand for aluminium is un.
precedented For aluminium is tht
most abundant metal or Garth. Their.
is no clay that does not have some
aluminium content Arkansas and
Georgia being especially rich in II
Aluminium, however, never is found
In a metal state, but in'a cnemica
x.,f,I To-, -