Show THE WORLDS METAL SUPPLY e are so accustomed to hear that the worlds coal supply Is within measurable distance of exha that we have grown a little indifferent to these predictions of evil but now comes professor shaler of harvard university with some more warnings along the same line it seems that the worlds metals are likely to become scarce within a comparatively short time and that we may find ourselves once more in the stone age for lack of better material copper and iron according to the professor are the two metals absolutely necessary to civilization the other metals are useful but not indispensable and we could perhaps struggle along without them great britain store of iron is it seems at an end the supply from southern europe is running short and the centrals Central 1 european mines will be empty in a hundred years the american output la problematical and unlikely to meet the demand china Is the one bright spot in the metallic future 0 th a world and so we are once more face to face with the open door and the question in th matter of copper our straits are likely to be still more desperate the copper famine will come een sooner thain the iron an aluminum ag is the one aeterna uve lo 10 a new stone age but the expense of production Is so heavy that it will be a costly substitute for iron gold on the other hand is being found in such increasingly large quantities that we shall soon be driven to some other medium of exchange the supply be so extensive that it will be useless for purposes of money the professor speaks no doubt w ith some authority but it Is not easy to understand the justification for such positive statements there are still vast tracts of the earths surface thai have never even kieen examined for metallic indications and which may et disclose immense deposits of the interior of africa hardly anything Is known australia awaits the explorer south america in mapy parts is still untouched morocco Is believed to have both iron and coal the alarm Is therefore entirely chimerical a Is also the supposed danger form an excessive discovery of gold the most precious metal may of course be found in large quantities at come future time but unless the present output Is greatly increased it certainly will not interfere with the value of currency |