Political and commercial geology and the world's mineral resources
Science
Political and commercial geology and the world's mineral resources
Geology, Economic; Mines and mineral resources
=German Control.=--Germany had no considerable tungsten deposits at
home, and none in the foreign territory she held, but in 1913 her
control through business alliances covered about two-thirds of the
world’s output of tungsten ore. In that year, according to the German
official figures, 5,295 short tons of tungsten ores were imported. Most
of this probably carried 65 per cent. or more WO₃, equivalent to, say,
5,736 tons of concentrates carrying 60 per cent. WO₃. Adding the 106
tons of Saxon concentrates produced in that year shows that Germany
treated a total of approximately 5,840 tons out of a world’s output
of 8,864 tons, or about 66 per cent. of the total. The United States
in the same year produced 1,537 tons and imported 449 tons of unknown
content, but the whole was probably equivalent to more than 2,000 tons
of ore carrying 60 per cent. WO₃, leaving only about 1,000 tons for
other countries, most of which seems to have been treated in France.
This trade Germany lost when with Austria she started the World War.
With the cutting off of all shipments by ocean to Germany, most of the
foreign ores were denied her, but undoubtedly small quantities leaked
in through Sweden and Norway for some time after the war began. The
small output of Austria was always available, and it is said that a
considerable quantity of ore was smuggled across the border of Portugal
into Spain, thence by water to the western frontier of Italy, into
Switzerland, and from there shipped direct to Germany. A considerable
part of the Spanish production is said to have reached Germany in this
way also, and the “crippled” submarines that ran into Spanish ports
are reported to have carried out cargoes of tungsten for Germany.
From available data it is impossible to confirm or to disprove these
reports, and, in giving them, their doubtfulness is fully recognized,
but such possibilities must be acknowledged.
In the Allied countries and the United States, the German interests
were taken over by the governments, but in South America the German
firms still hold some control of tungsten-bearing properties. In
Bolivia four German firms are said to have an output of about 600
metric tons of ore a year. In Peru what is said to be the larger part
of the tungsten deposits has been controlled by firms thought to be
German, E. y W. Hardt and Carlos W. Weiss y Cia. In Argentina the Hansa
Mining Co., a German concern, is the principal producer. Its output
is said to be about 500 tons of concentrates a year, but even this
output is said to have come to the United States during the war. If the
United States is placed under a prohibitive tariff, Germany may easily
recover a large part of her control of the world’s tungsten trade.
PRODUCTION PLANTS AND PROCESSES
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