The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-12
War Shatters Great
 American Illusion
Idea of Self-SuHiciency Under Any Emergency Exploded by Present Scarcity of Metal, Rubber - Japan's Quick Offensive
 Cuts Sources of Supply.

The war had rudely exploded the
 idea that a self-contained United States could get along perfectly ir peace or war. In 8 series of swift blows, Japan has cut us of from rubber, tin, and quinine. The war at sea has made 1t difficult and in some cases impossible to tap other sources of these and other vital materials, such as tungsten, chrome manganese, and a long list of chem icalS.
 Scrap of all kinds has, therefore become a crucial source of many of the materials needed to build our war machine and keep 1t in motion. To the mineral wealth of our moun- tains and the fertility of our soil, we must add the junkpile as a vital component of our war effort.
 The broad categories of waste ma- ter1al in which salvage is most im- portant are metals, rubber, waste fats, burlap, rags-and to a limited extent-paper.
 Vital Necessities
 All important metals are needed iron and steel, tin, copper. brass, lead, zinc, and aluminium. To keep the steel plants going, the govern ment has called for the salvage of IT million tons of iron and steel scrap in the last six months of 1942 A full 50 per cent of the materials used in the making of steel must come from the junkyards and scrap piles of the country. This scrap is combined with 50 per cent pig iron to make the finished steel. America is aiming at 90,000 900 tons of steel production a year. This will be pos- sible only if sufficient scrap is forth coming.
 Normally. America is the worlds largest consumer of tin. We used 100000 tons in 1941, or half the worlds supply. And practically all of it came from the East Indies and Malaga, now in Japanese hands. Tin is vital element in many metal alloys and in packaging. Except for the amount imported from Brazil. and that already in our national stockpiles, we will have to rely on salvaged tin cans.
 Most of our tungsten usually comes from China, our chrome comes from the Philippines, and our from Russia. Today, enemy action has cut off these SUD- plies. We've got to reclaim what we can and substitute where we can.
 Practically every pound of scrap metal that is collected can be put to use. There is as much copper in an old kettle as there is in 84 pounds >f ammunition. The lead in an old :ar battery equals that needed in he manufacture of three 3-inch guns. The scrap iron md steel in one old bucket is equal | o the amount required in the of three bayonets. 1 There is as much aluminium in one ,roken-down washing machine as | here is in 21 our-pound incendiary | 'ombs. Our supply of all of these l weapons of war is limited by the available. If the victory | tockpiles are piled high, we can more of them.
 Rubber Scarce
 Rubber, too. came from the East i ndies and Malaya and we used it in | eacetime at the rate of 100000 l. pms 8 year. Yield from the South wild and newly planted ubber trees, or from domestic guay- le will be small for several years. he synthetic program won't begin } meet military requirements for ear or more. Our major and imme- fate source is the rubber we have n hand. in scrap piles, in civilian SC, and in the Stockpiles of new