The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-12

able supply Of scarce raw materials to carry this whole class Of Glnall misunderstanding companies (those employing less than 20 perHonb) during tho first six months Of i0t2,"
 As for the intermediate 'c Q lm- panies, the S0,O00 convertible to de- fezse production, odluEl suggested creation of an emergency pool of raw materials which could Dc doled out Co them to akeep them alive on c going concern basis" until the conversion could he accomplished.
 Those suggestions have not been acted on, but they form the basis for leaislatiofi now in preparation for Congress. Odlum's agency, in the meantime, is going ahead with efforts to help the conversion of available industry. The washing machine industry, for example, with 30 companies hit by the priorities system, was organized into a pool which received 9l2.OO0, 900 of gOv- efzlneglt orders for machine guns.
 West Undeveloped
 But ct the safne time stll an. other senate committed sub- committee of the public lands group-was making c long-range study to sec what undeyeloped mineral resources this nation could tap SO as to relieve permanently the shortages discovered. After hear- ings throughout the West, the com. mittee reported:
 FThe undeveioped mineral re- serves Of the Western states con- Stitute Q challenge to . people who are rich beyond their dreams, but whao have been led to believe that they ore poor in the materials that they need.
 with the exception of tin and nickel, there is scarcely any mineral that is required for defense or for peacetilna use that does not exist In abundance in the West and which could not Do supplied if the neces- sary plants were established"
 Although this would involve Q long-range program and could not alleviate present defense needs for years, the committee pointed out these possibilities in metals listed by the army and navy as "strate- gic."
 Aluminium, developed most easily from bauxtte ore, may also be pro- duced from aiunite, of which there are immense deposits through the Western states.
 Tungsten, necessary Co steel pros duotlon, which the United States has obtained largely from China and Bolivia, might he developed from minerals in the intermountain states.
 Manganese Available
 Manganese, used in the steel ln- dustry, could be obtained from states, particularly ln South Dakota Shale deposits iii various Western on the Missouri river. Tn the past, most of Americas supply of this ore has como from the Russian Cau. caSlis mountains.
 Chromium, used as an alloy and rust-resistant in steel, can be ob- tained from chrome ore, Of which there are millions of tons all over tho West" instead of being hauled from Africa.
 The search for strategic miner. alS instigated by the pressure of defense has removed many of our worries about tungsten, magnesium, and other minerals" the committee said. While supplies have not been found of all the necessary minerals. the outlook is distinctly more hope full than 1t was two or three years ago." it added.
 How these supplies can be de- vedloped to save the I30,Q00 small business men now facing shutdowns has not been solved, but Congress has accumulated 6 comprehensive mass of data on which it now pro- poses to 90 to work.