September 27, 191 7] 



NATURE 



69 



As regards the production of iron ore, the total 

 amount raised in 1913 was just under 16 

 million tons, to which Cleveland contributed nearly 

 6, Northamptonshire 3, Lincolnshire 26, and 

 Cumberland 13 million tons. The above total 

 compares unfavourably with the output in 1880, 

 which was above 18 million tons. Scotland, which 

 then contributed 266 million tons, only produced 

 059 million tons in 191 3. Staffordshire also 

 shows a big decline. On the other hand, imported 

 ores had risen from 3 million tons in 1880 to 

 8 million in 191 3, of which 47 came from Spain, 

 Thus some 24 million tons of iron ore were raised 

 and smelted in 1913, of which slightly above one- 

 third came from abroad. A total of 1026 million 

 tons of pig iron was produced, representing an 

 average iron content of 427 per cent, in the ore. 



The resources of the British Dominions are then 

 referred to, the principal deposits at present 

 known being those of Newfoundland, Canada, 

 India, and Australia. Two of the largest iron 

 mines in the world are situated on the north- 

 western shore of Bell Island, Newfoundland, and 

 from them the Canadian iron industry has drawn 

 its chief ore supplies. Immense resources of iron 

 ore are known to exist in India, but no definite 

 estimate of the quantities available for exploita- 

 tion has ever been made. 



Part ii. gives information of the same kind and 

 { so far as it is available with regard to most of 

 the other countries of Europe, Africa, Asia, and 

 North and South America. As regards the iron- 

 ore deposits of the United States, the economic 

 and industrial conditions render it unlikely that 

 those ores will ever be imported into this country. 

 So far as the iron industry of the United Kingdom 

 is dependent on the iron resources of other coun- 

 tries, any supplies drawn from the United States 

 will probably always be in the form of pig iron 

 or semi-finished and finished iron goods. 



In Part iii. notes are given of the principal uses, 

 occurrence, and composition of the ores of metals 

 other than iron but used in the iron industry — viz. 

 chromium, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, 

 nickel, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, and zir- 

 conium, including references to the composition of 

 ferro-allovs manufactured from some of these ores. 



THE EFFORTS OF FRENCH INDUSTRY 

 DURING THE WAR. 



WHILE the various Allied countries are busily 

 occupied in discussing elaborate after-war 

 programmes, there is evidence that France 

 at least has passed the domain of mere 

 theoretical speculation. The Soci^t^ d' Encourage- 

 ment pour rindustrie Nationale recently 

 organised at its headquarters in Paris an 

 exhibition of national industries, the exhibits 

 comprising : (a) products manufactured in France 

 since the outbreak of the war, and which prior 

 to the war were all — or nearly all — obtained 

 from abroad ; (h) products which before the war 

 were manufactured principally in the regions 

 now in enemy occupation and are now manu- 

 factured beyond the French Army zone. A 

 NO. 2500, VOL. 100] 



description of the exhibits is given in the July- 

 August number of the society's Bulletin, and the 

 following brief notes refer to the products of a 

 more or less scientific character. 



Quartz and Glass Goods. — MM. Adnet and 

 Poulenc Frires exhibited a comprehensive series 

 of glass and quartz vessels used in chemical and 

 bacteriological work, including some specimens 

 of " tuboserum " glass which M. Adnet has manu- 

 factured to replace the neutral Jena glass. Other 

 exhibits included Dewar bottles, nitrometers, gas 

 determination apparatus, clinical thermometers, 

 and a microscope the optical and mechanical parts 

 of which were made entirely in France. Special 

 interest attached to the- exhibit of a Coolidge 

 tube, which has now assumed importance in 

 connection with the radiography of metals. 



Chemistry. — At the outbreak of war France 

 was practically entirely dependent on Germany or 

 on German-owned companies for her supplies of 

 chemicals necessary for the manufacture of high 

 explosives. The war has changed all that, as is 

 evident from the long list of organic compounds 

 shown at the exhibition now under discussion. 

 A comprehensive series of samples of the coal- 

 tar derivatives was shown, as well as samples of 

 synthetic nitric acid and nitrates obtained from 

 French works. Again, the French have taken up in 

 earnest the manufacture of pharmaceutical pro- 

 ducts which were essentially German specialities 

 before the war (aspirin, local anaesthetics, 

 hypnotics, etc.), as the list of exhibits shows. 

 Many compounds used in the manufacture of 

 dyes, varnishe?, etc., and in connection with 

 photography "^nd radiology were shown. Pro- 

 gress has also been made in the manufacture of 

 compounds of the rare earths, which in peace 

 time were obtained exclusively from Germany, 

 while pure cerium, ferro-cerium, and magnesium 

 (manufactured for the first time in France) have 

 now passed the experimental stage. Three novel- 

 ties in the way of chemicals were represented ■: 

 synthetic acetic acid, synthetic acetic anhydride, 

 and synthetic alcohol. 



Miscellaneous. — Ebonite, so largely used in 

 scientific instruments of all kinds — especially 

 electrical — had to be obtained from German firms 

 by France at the outbreak of war. Many samples 

 of ebonite goods were included in the present 

 exhibition, and it is hoped that France may after 

 the war be self-supporting in this respect. The 

 French are also taking up actively (as we are in 

 this country) the manufacture of magnetos, and it 

 is hoped, with the advent of better labour condi- 

 tions, to replace foreign-made goods by the French 

 article. 



It would be highly interesting and instructive 

 from the economic point of view if British 

 manufacturers of articles similar to those 

 described organised a comprehensive exhibit on 

 the lines indicated above. The country would 

 then at least know that serious attempts were 

 being made to take action rather than spend 

 time in abstruse arguments which have little 

 value except for the theoretical economist. 



E. S. Hodgson. 



