108 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BALTIMORE MEETING 



(3) International control of imports and exports introduced as a war meas- 

 ure for some of the minerals, and possibly to be extended under any arrange- 

 ment for a league of nations. The possibilities and results of international 

 control, its purposes, its effect on world movement of minerals, the position of 

 the United States in such an arrangement, reaction on domestic production and 

 on our policy of making the United States independent in regard to mineral 

 supplies. Conservation as a factor in internationalization. 



Presented by title in the absence of the author. 



COMMERCIAL CONTROL OF THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE WORLD 

 BY JOSIAH EDWARD SPURR 



(Ahstract) 



During the war the problem of the supply of ores, both foreign and domestic, 

 became a vital one, and it soon became evident that it was important-to kno\\ 

 in whose hands the supply of these mineral necessities rested. With the dis- 

 covery of the network of German intrigue, it became necessary to scrutinize 

 the control by German interests of mineral supplies and markets, and in so 

 doing the investigators became aware of the vast influence not only of the Ger- 

 man commercial combinations, but also of the similar control exercised by the 

 industrial enterprises of other nations. A preliminary survey was, therefore, 

 begun and is now nearly finished, and special pamphlets have been issued under 

 the auspices of the Interior Department covering the field of the commercial 

 control of the principal minerals in the world. 



It is conceded that the natural boundaries for autonomous states are those 

 of race, tongue, and geography ; but the extent and forms of empires have been 

 and will be determined by natural resources, especially of the metals. 



Of all great nations, the United States has within its boundaries the greatest 

 mineral wealth, and probably least of all nations has realized its political signifi- 

 cance. History shows that the. possession of great resources by a country is of 

 little importance by itself; it is the commercial control which gives rise to 

 power, wealth, and the growth of industrial civilizations. The commercial con- 

 trol of mineral and other natural resources is normally followed by political 

 control. 



One of the principal lessons to be learned from the series of individual min- 

 eral studies mentioned is that the United States Government must protect and 

 encourage the investment of American capital in mineral wealth. It must do 

 this in the United States, else we shall have our resources dominated commer- 

 cially by foreign capital ; and we must do it in Mexico, for example, else for- 

 eign capital will occupy the field and will threaten our political independence 

 in the future in much the same way as if they had accomplished the same 

 commercial domination in the United States. Onlj^ by recognizing and encour- 

 aging combinations of American capital engaged in mining can the well organ- 

 ized foreign combinations of capital be offset and checkmated. 



The policy of our Government indicated for the future is to manage to best 

 advantage such ores as we possess in exportable surplus, and to secure by 

 careful forethought such ores as we do possess in quantity suflicient for our 

 own needs. 



