Evening star., 1947-03-23

particularly those of metals and
mounted almost to the continental
descent.
The downward turn will neces-
state a revolution in national tenn.
perament. Into our possession came
a store OF natural wealth opulen'
beyond all historical experience. We
have looted it like wastrel heirs, or
the theory that our riches were
IinexahuStible and with Mr.. Micaw-
bers hope that in case of need some
thing would turn up.
Driven by the profit motive, we
have exported to foreign lands many
billions of dollars in natural treasure
which can never be replaced. We
have scattered it to the winds ir
two World Wars. We have poured il
into domestic consumption at rate
posing questions as to whether the
vaunted American living standard is
not the deadliest of foes to long
range security of the American
people.
Mineral Exports High.
Since 1880 total mineral produc-
ton in the United States has scared
from less than half billion dollars
annually to almost nine billions
During the last half century mineral
exports have consistently exceeded
mineral imports. The maximum
years figure for the latter was
$700, ,000, 900: that of the former was
upward of 81, $50 900, ,00O World Wal
II alone stripped American resources
OF $500, 900, 900 barrels of petroleum
100000 tons of copper, 3,5OO,0 tons
Of zinc, 2,25O,000 tons of lead, 10000
tons. of tungsten, 5000 tons Of
vanadium and 100000 TASKS OF
mercury.
With s per cent of the world:
population, the American people
consume two-thirds of the world:
petroleum. We possess IS per cent
Of all automobiles, 81 per cent of al
refrigerators and SO per cent of al
radios. Each year, largely for oul
own use, we produce some S3,000,-
900 900 worth of steel.
| The day of reckoning is now at
hn IyNr t0 NJ fny.Jn Va
partment estimates. we have Used uE
81 per cent of our original stocks
Of mercury, with which the United
States was supplying most of the
world in 1877. Altogether we have
consumed IS per cent of our silver
and lead, 80 per cent of our chrom-
ium, TO per cent of our vanadium
bauXite, manganese and tungsten. sc
per cent of our zinc and go per cent
of our copper and petroleum.
Low on. Tin and Nickel.
We have less than one years
known supply Of nickel and tin
Under normal consumption, it l.
calculated, there Is manganese tt
last only two years; mercury ane
asbestos, three years; platinum
tungsten and antimony, four years
vanadium, seven years; bauxite
nine years; silver, II years: lead l.
years; gold, IA years, and petroleum
18 years. Such periods are M
more than instants in the life of g
nation.
! Within a decade copper and pc
troleum will shift to import status
So predicts DR.. Elmer w. Pehrson
chief of the Economics and Stats.
tics Branch Of the Bureau of Mines
In other words, the United States
which only recently sluiced these
I materials into foreign markets with
a lavish hand, is at the point OF
becoming dependent for them upor
supplies abroad.
Only our unique possession of di.
rect-shipping ores at the Mesab
Range in Minnesota enabled the
! United States to discharge the wars
colossal demands for steel. These
ores have been SO depleted, says DR.
Pehrson, that production will star
to decline in the near future anc
the deposits will be totally exhausted
by 1860. Much the same is true oi
high-grade coking Goals
Out of 33 minerals listed by DR.
Pehrson as essential to national de.
fense and the American way of life
no less than 81 face domestic ex-
tinction within IS years, or one gen.
Grafton. Ominously enough, the
fated materials include petroleum
copper, lead and zinc, in the produc.
ton of which the United States only
recently led the world.
Other Indispensables.
Twelve of the list have PROVED
supplies for less than five years. A
the bottom are fake graphite, quart.
crystals and industrial diamonds, o1
which We have no native stocks a
all. Next come tin, nickel, chromitt
and manganese, in which this coun'
try has always been notably def
cient. The other short Lived mineral
are asbestos, mercury, platinum
tungsten and antimony.
Materials expected to last from
to Is years are vanadium, bauxite
silver, lead, gold, cadmium, petrole-
UNI and zinc. Copper, fluorspar, ma
tural gas and sulphur have life ex.
pectancies of Is to 100 years. Only
mine of the 33 essential minerals viii
remain abundant after a century
has passed. They are iron ore
potash, anthracite, molybdenum
phosphate rock, bituminous coal anc
| ilignite, salt, magnesium and nitro.
gen.