Show U. U S. S ons Tin Ten King of o Bolivia Bolivia Bolivia- ITo To Assure Vital Metal Supply Editors Editor's note This Is it the see see- ond of two articles on tin ital vital metal In U. U S. S rearming By TO TOM WOLF NEW YORK Aug 28 NEA NEA- NEA If increasing ever-increasing Japanese pressure pressure pressure pres pres- sure In m Asia should close Americas America's shipping lanes to the tin-rich tin far lar east st and if it Germany should seal British merchantmen in European harbors the destiny of Americas America's vital tin supplies would fall right in the middle of ol the plump lap ofa of ofa ofa a poor once-poor Bolivian named Simon Simon SImon Si SI- mon I. I Patino Today Tin King Patino one of the worlds world's largest individual producers producers producers pro pro- of tin owns 60 per cent of Bolivia's tin mines sole mines sole appreciable appreciable appreciable source of the precious metal in the western hemisphere Patino's Patino's Patino's Pa- Pa tinos tino's sensational rise from humble humble humble hum hum- ble origins In Cochabamba Bolivia Bolivia Bo Bo- Bolivia livia where he was born during the American Civil war to a fortune fortune fortune for for- tune variously estimated between and millions Is largely due to a woman who said no Patino became a miner acci acci- dentally Fired from a clerkship in a small store in Cochabamba because he accepted title to a tin mine as payment of ol a debt debt- ridden prospector owned the store Patino Patin set out in 1905 to work a acre 2 stake high In the frigid Andes wastes in Unica county Luck Smiles Smites on Miner Luck was with him The first pound loads of Patino ore that the sure-footed sure llamas carried earned down the treacherous Andes Andas slopes assayed rich Within a year an American firm was offering Patino Patina what then seemed to him a fabulous fabulous fabulous lous price for his Salvadora vein Then the woman said no We will go bankrupt with Salvadora Salvador Pa Patinas Patina's lino's linos wife twits told him or you will become el gran Mirador the gre greatest test of at tin miners Patino kept his properties His I wife was was right He He prospered bought new mines prospered more Soaring tin prices of the first World war put the finishing touches on his tin empire Lacking Lacking Lack Lack- Lacking ing domestic smelters Patino Patina ores I traveled miles from Bolivia to refineries at Bootle Bootie a small English town near Liverpool In 1923 Patino Patina bought a controlling interest in the smelters Builds Great Fortune Soon Patino Patina had mines smelters smelts smelters smelt smelt- ers ens and a with American consuming interests The American National Lead company with whom Patino Patina had been associated in American smelters smelters smelt smelt- ers during the World war in in- vested in some of Patino's Patinas Bolivian mines He rewarded the American American American Ameri Ameri- can concern with the chairmanship chairmanship chairmanship chairman chairman- ship of Patino Patina Mines and Enterprises Enterprises Enter Enter- Consolidated Then he retired retired re re- re- re tired in Paris where he had lived most of his life Ufe since 1911 to the fabulous luxury that was his due Short round dressed beautifully-dressed Simon Patino lived up to his fortune fortune fortune for for- tune first as a private citizen then as Bolivian minister to France Whatever he did he said it with a smile his smile his favorite ex ex- ex- ex He owned palaces In Paris Nice Biarritz in addition to several seldom-inhabited seldom mansions in his native Bolivia He had six private automobiles I Son Marries arris Princess His regal mode was capped with reality in 1931 when his second son and business heir Antenor married a Bourbon princess Such Is the man who recently arrived in America on the Invitation invitation invitation tation of U. U S. S defense experts expert to discuss the possibility of shipping Bolivian ores direct to the U. U S. S should the need arise In In the first press conference of his career he recently revealed that discussions with the defense commission would touch on the building of a large U. U S. S smelter There are of course other Bolivian Bolivian Bo Bo- Bolivian livian tin producers most Important Important tant among whom are Hochschild and Aramayo But since Patino economics provide the main stability stability stability sta sta- for lor Bolivia's shaky often economics with which they are inextricably Interwoven if Patino says no what Bolivian Interest can afford to say yes 1 New Problems Rise JUse Even should Senor Patino consent consent consent con con- sent to deliver his ores to AmerIca America Amer Amer- ica lea the U. U S. S tin supply would not automatically be assured Domestic Domes Domes- tic smelters can of ol course be built Already the Phelps Dodge corporation is experimentally refIning refining refining re re- re- re I fining Bolivian ores at a pilot smelter at Laurel Hill L. L I. I I But there are many bugs to be worked out For one thing Bolivian Bolivian Bo Bo- Bolivian livian ore is primarily impure It must be mixed with Nigerian or Malayan l ores or subjected to a tricky expensive electrolysis process process process proc proc- ess to produce first grade tin In the second place Bolivian production has frequently fallen short of the quotas allowed by the tin cartel Most observers attribute attribute attribute at at- tribute this to unstable Bolivian economics and high taxes rather than to depletion of tin reserves But even working under the most favorable conditions such as exist at present Bolivia cannot hope to produce much over tons a year year about about two-thirds two of the U. U S. S normal needs U. U S. S Realizes Need These then are the facts But the picture Is not all black by any means for America is at long last awake to her tin needs The longer the shipping lanes stay open the greater the reserves America can lay up under the defense commissions commission's buying policy If they are closed there might be bea a pinch By reclaiming scrap tin by di diverting dl- dl venting verLing all supplies to essential industrial and military purposes by building domestic smelters and importing Bolivian ore directly Americas America's vital tin needs should easily be supplied under any cir cir- cir cir- |