Address by Dr. Hahn. 49 



first, question is, therefore, are there sources of energy in Soulh Africa 

 available for developing and for maintaining chemical industries? 

 Tf we divide South Africa by the meridian of De Aar into two parts, 

 we find, by comparing those two parts, in the Eastern part rich dia- 

 mond mines, gold mines, and ore deposits of nearly all metals of 

 technical importance — Silver, Copper, Zinc, Tin, Lead and Iron. 

 This part of South Africa is at the same time also distinguished by 

 possessing large coal deposits at Indwe. Cyphergat and Molteno in 

 the Colony, in the Transkei, in Natal, at Vereeniging in the Orange 

 River Colony, at Brakpan, Middelburg and Wakkerstroom in the 

 Transvaal, at Wankie and on the banks of the Zambesi in Rhodesia. 

 At present, coal is still the prime motor power in chemical as in 

 other industries. For example, it would be impossible to extract the 

 gold at the Rand with a profit if, instead of using the cheap coal of 

 Brakpan, near Johannesburg, the mining industry had to buy coal at 

 the rate which now rules in Cape Town. In addition to the coal, 

 we have in the Eastern part of South Africa a large supply of water- 

 power, which can be transferred into mechanical and electrical energy. 

 An approximate estimate of this water-power in the Transkei and 

 Natal gave the result that the available water-power in the Transkei and 

 Natal is equal to that of Germany and Switzerland combined. Whilst 

 in Germany and Switzerland the employment of this water-power has 

 given a powerful impetus to the further development of chemical 

 industries, nothing whatever has been done as yet in South Africa 

 as to the utilization of these sources of energy. At present enormous 

 masses of water still run from the Drakens Bergen in numerous 

 rivers, cataracts and waterfalls to the Indian Ocean, as it has been in 

 the past, without yielding a unit of energy towards the industrial 

 development of South Africa. 



The Eastern part of South Africa has been well provided by 

 nature, possessing, besides rich ore deposits, fertile soil and favour- 

 able climate, also the two principal factors required for the develop- 

 ment and maintenance of chemical industries, coal and water-power, 

 transferable into mechanical and electrical energy. There is no 

 doubt that these favourable conditions will before long be turned to 

 use for chemical industries, as one of them, the coal, is already 

 employed for the mining industry. 



And what do we find in that part of South Africa to the west 

 of the meridian of De Aar? At present there has been found 

 nothing besides the Copper Ore in Tittle Namaqualand and the little 

 Gold in the Knysna which justifies the hope of having also in this 

 part of South Africa flourishing mining industries. In the Western 

 part of South Africa no indication of coal has been as yet discovered, 

 and the water-power transferable into energy is very poor. Here and 

 there, for example at Jonkershoek, in Mitchell's Pass, in Southey's 

 Pass and in the Knysna, are a few localities where water-power can 

 be transferred into mechanical energy, but in most of these cases 

 only during a portion of the year. A successful development of 

 coal-consuming industries, or rather energy-consuming industries, is, in 

 the Western Province, out of the question. 



