The Daily Alaska empire., 1927-10-22
Minerals and World Politics.
fNew York T.mea )


 Tn an article entitled 'Dxplotation and World Progress" in the October number of For eign Affairs Mir c. K. Leith, the well-known ex- pert the world mineral resources, suggests that the extraordinary increase in the consump- ton of coal iron and other minerals during th isst half century will rred,ce new political ar rangt ale nts between nations. At present there f d deal of hyeocrioy tho part of government v.th relation to the expotaticn of mineral re soui cea by their nationals. The part played by oil in the controversies between the United State and Mexico is in point. Throughout the world, as the demand fer m nerals ncrease- the relations between nations with large supplies and thcse with large demands will undergo changes.
 The world little appreciates the part played by minerals in modern civilization. Obvious as 1t is that live in age of steel, it f hard to visualize the enormous advance in pro duction and consumption of the principal metals within the last few decades Professor Leith gives a few of the most salient figures In the last twenty years the world has exploited more of it's resources than in all preceding history. In the United States alone the per capita consump on of metals has increased hfteen-fold in the last fifty years. Today the United States orig mates about 40 per cent of the worlds minera production Incidentally. the United States # performing about 40 per cent. of the worIdg work
 Herein lies one of the most interesting facts of modern civilization. The enormous weatf of the American Continent in the essential Dulf materials has given to the United States the op portunty of leading in the industrial development of the world It has been estimated that the sunil of production in the United States is thrty-thret times that of China. In other words, china which still relies almost exclusively on mar power to perform all manner of tasks, is alto gether outdstanced by America. which relies or machines to do much of the work that was form erly done by hand. One of the reasons why thi is possible is because the United States has sucl large available deposits of the bulk mnera like coal and iron Thanks to their distibutlo' around the North Atlantic basin, the nation there situated dominate the world today.
 When the late Brooks Adams developed thirty years ago his theory that there is direct rela ton between the control of large supplies oi metals and the preponderance of world power he was considered academic specuator His prophecy that the United States, owing to the development of it's coal and iron resources. destined to become of the most infuentia nations in world affairs was ignored. And yet the fact remains today that, MT Leith re- minds us. our present prosperity and strength arc due not so much to the fortunes made during the World War as to the rapid development of the enormous natural resources of the country and their utilization in such manner as to derive from them the largest possible amount of power.
 Contrary to popular belief. the distribution Iof essential minerals is far from uniform. It is this which at the time gives preponder- ance to those nations having large supplies of coal and iron and ntensifes the demand for other metals Unfortunately, international frc- growing demand for minerals has greatly in- creased commerce.. and has been one of the forces binding closer together the commercial in- terests of the world.