Evening star., 1942-01-15
America Faces Loss
Of Chromium Supply
Il philippines Fall
Graph te, Munsoness
And Tungsten Also Com.
Chief, From Abroad
<Es.hSS - c>~i>.l
(Eihth OF q Seriss.)
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

| (Eihth Of q Seriss.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
Potentially one Of the most seri-
Gus losses to the United States
which can come from shutting OF
Of imports from the Philippines Is
chromium.
The islands are this country's
chief sourcs Of supply for this super
essential mineral which u . mill
tary necessity and which In the
past decaee has transfoEmed the
appearances Of the automobile,
kitchen AMI bathroom.
A few weeks ago Z high ofncial
Of the Ofase Of Production Manage
ment was predicting confidently
that q German invasion of Turkey
was IN absolute military necessity
not for my strategic advantage,
but to get At the large chromium
supplies without which modern war
cannot be vaged.
The Un1ed States at present is
well fixed. At the end of 1910, the
United States Tariff Commission
estimates from import statistics,
there was ! stock pile In the hands
Of the Government which would
last at least two years. Imports
from the Philippines have continued
far above current requirements ever
since.
Graphise Supply Threatened.
All domestic supplies are of low
grade and are used In making re-
fractory brick. Normal imports are
about 5000 tons . year and all
goes into making hard. rustless
steel.
Turkey and Greece have been the
chief sources Of supply for the world
market, btu have accounted for only
about 10 yer cent Of American i'm
ports. Recently important deposits
have beer developed In Cuba and
large supplies can be obtained from
South Af-ca so long as trade routes
are kept open.
A minoe but essential mineral of
which tho most important sources
Of supply threaten to be cut of -
the war II the Pacific Is graphite.
1t Is q fom Of carbon. 1t is best
known in the form Of amorphous
graphite, @amiliar in pencils, various
paints anc commutator brushes. OF
this there is probably . plentiful
supply. Aexico has large mines.
Within th. past few years q large
deposit wss opened on the ST. Law
renee Rivsr In Northern New York.
A fairly satisfactory product can be
made syn.hetically.
Come. Solely From Ceylon.
But the vitality essential form is
crystalline graphite Of which there
are no supplies in the New World.
It has ben imported almost solely
from Ceyi,n, formerly from 5000 to
1900 ton. a year. This form Of
graphite has been essential for
crucibles for making vital metal
alloys. such as steel and brass. New
metallurgcal methods involving use
Of electric furnaces were gradually
surplAntirg the crucibles up to the
time Of tie war when the demand
for increased production made them
necessary again.
Some II the best grades Of
graphite nave come from Madagas-
car. Imports have been very small
for the past year and now probably
will cease altogether. At the begin
ming Of ,ast year 5000 tons were
known t. be en- route to the United
States. Whether the shipment ever
arrived isa military secret. It would
be sufnctnt for q year or two.
A very significant mineral lacked
by the Utited States is manganese
Ordinaril' about 100000 tons a year
have beer imported, but supplies on
hand a var ago were estimated as
adequate tor at least two years. The
Metal Reserve Co., financed by the
r. F. c.. had contracted for about
100000 TINS for the Governments
stock pils.
Essential to Steel.
The msst important use Is In the
production Of ordinary steel. It Is
essential for the removal of oxygen
and sulphur. Less important Is its
use In production Of special alloy
steels AMI for dry batteries. There
Is no substitute.
The CHEF exporting country has
been Russia. Some is produced,
however. as q side product Of most
copper mining and the Government
has q contract for 24o, 900 tons dur
ing the next three years with the
Anaconoi Copper Co. This involved
building . special plant for con-
centratiig the ore. Domestic pro-
duction, at best, has been only
5 per cent Of consumption.
Since the outbreak Of the war
there has been a large increase in
imports from Brazil and Cuba
These are now running about 10000
tons q YEAR. There are manganese
deposits in the Philippines, but the
production has been low.
Tul gsten Imports Curbed.
One # the most significant of
all ores If which the United States
does nG have an adequate supply
is tungsen, used chiefly to harden
steel. II is also necessary for elec-
trio light f1laments and In various
chemica compositions. About 10 per
cent is mined in Asia and imports
are quiI. unlikely for the duration
Of the var.
The -nited States Is the worlds
third largest tungsten producer, but
produces only about 8 per cent Of
the world supply. Imports have
been a,out TOO tons q year and
the Meals Reserve Co. early In 1910
had lad in q SIC, ,000, 900 reserve
supply which probably has been in
creased since.
The United States Coast Guard