The midland journal., 1942-01-23
rA61llaa5a,
Washington, ID. Q.

lions Of tons Of scrap iron 60 to
Japan are not too anxious to adver-
tise our present dearth Of scrap,
but the real fact is that 1t is SO
serious as to cause the shutdown
Of nine blast furnaces in Youngs-
town, Ohio. alone.
To meet the shortage, the OPM
has been conducting an expert
mental campaign to collect scrap
iron in Erie, Pa, and is launching
other campaigns in Boston, Pitts
burgh, Bridgeport and Akron. How
ever, the campaign is going very
slowly. Chief trouble is that col
lections are made through the nor
NAL scrap iron trade.
Therefore, it looks as If the Amer
ican public might have to take
things in hand. A survey Of Butler
county, Ohio, shows that every
farmer has an average of about 500
pounds Of usable scrap iron and
rubber rusting or rotting behind
his barn. On this basis, the OPM
estimates that it should be possible
to collect 100000 tons Of scrap
from American farmers.
Not many people realize the inn
portance which scrap plays in the
iron and steel industry. Ordinarily,
steel is made so per cent from ore
and so per cent from scrap iron.
But today ordinary supplies of scrap
iron are diminished, not only by
previous sales to Japan but by the
fact that war industries supply no
scrap. Many tanks, guns, and mill
tary motor trucks are shipped off to
Egypt, Malaga or Russia. They
never come back. Ordinarily, indus
try supplies its own scrap iron from
| junked automobiles, etc. But now
there will be fewer automobiles to
junk.
So the scrap iron problem is one
which will require every farmer
and householder to look around be-
hind his barn or in his basement to
see what he can spare for war in
dustries.
You can check off lead as the next
strategic material to be put under
interdict for civilian use. OPM's
banning order will be issued short
ly. That will mean the end of lead
foil and numerous other items OF
normal everyday use. One possible
exception may be lead for automo-
bile batteries, but even that will be
under severe restrictions.
Reason for the ban is inadequacy
of domestic supply to meet the
increasing need for bullets. War
production tables call for lead con-
sumption of $4,000 tons monthly by
June; 100000 tons monthly by next
January. For military reasons, fig
ures on U. S. supply can not be
disclosed, but it is below what is
needed even with production in
creases now under way plus imports
from Canada, Mexico and other for
eign sources. So civilian use will
be restricted for the duration.
WLW ICELAND
The largest standard-wave broad
casting apparatus in the U.S.A.-
owned by WLW Cincinnati-may be
set up in Iceland to drown out Hit
ler's rasping broadcasts to the Ger
man people.
For many years WLW operated a
10000 watt station in Cincinnati,
but was forced by the Federal Com
munications commission to reduce to
SO, 900 watts, which is the maximum
for ordinary commercial stations in
the U.S.A. Therefore, WLW has now
offered its big 500,0 900 watt set to the
government to be established in Ice
land. Since Hitler's stations are no.
where near as strong as 100000
watts, WLW's beams from Iceland
could drown out his voice every
time he went on the air.
Furthermore, WLW Iceland would
not operate on short wave, which the
German people are not permitted
to hear. 1t would operate on a
standard broadcasting beam and
would come in over the ordinary
German radio. BY turning button
in the station in Iceland, the wave
length could be changed to cut in
on any German program.
There is one catch to the proposal,
however. WLW Cincinnati wants to
make a deal with the government
whereby it would be permitted to
set up another 100000 watt station
in the United States in return for
sending its equipment to Iceland.
|
CAPITAL CHAFF
Secretary of War Stimson has
been shaking up some of his gen.
erals, and has put Gen. Raymond
Lee temporarily in charge of mill
tary intelligence. Lee was former
u. S. military attache in London and
an AL officer. Army people hope
he stays in charge Of the intelli-
gence service.
| To make more Office space in
Washington, the Farm Credit adj
ministration is being moved to Chi
cago.
1 Through its nationwide co-ops,
YIowrxy C1afforvse Rura1 Elacfriffca.