Show This Promise Promise Needs Keeping Rejection Re by the House of a thirty million dollar promise for continued purchase purchase pur pur- chase and stockpiling of strategic minerals notably tungsten threatens to stall in its tracks defense efforts to develop the heat resistant metals we must have for faster planes and weight light radiation radiation radiation radia radia- tion shielding essential to atomic aircraft Back of this story is a perfect example example example ex ex- ample of the absurdity of passing legislation legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion requiring money to implement ment it and not providing the money Last year Congress passed interim legislation authorizing authorizing authorizing au au- 90 O million dollars for the purchase purchase purchase pur pur- chase of strategic minerals including tungsten the funds to come com from subsequent subsequent subsequent quent appropriation bills Just before knocking off for lor the tho campaign the solons colons provided twenty one millions to support these purchases for tho the balance of 1 1956 1056 56 with the promise of thirty millions more as soon as the tho new Congress convened in January with the tho balance to follow in the 1958 budget But ut the economy drive touched off by public r resentment of President dent Eisenhower's record breaking budget budget budget bud bud- get has caused the House to rene renege o and cut the minerals purchase purchase- item out of the tho 33 O OOOO ur urgent nt deficiency appropriations appropriations appropriations bill which the tho Senate passed in February A Senate majority outraged at what it considered n a shocking breach brooch of faith on the part of the House restored this item Hem by a roll 1011 call vote of l C-l to 17 But ut the House conferees again passed by the th promised funds and the future futuro of strategic stra metals remains deadlocked Under the original strategic miner ala legislation the United States had just reached the th point of sufficiency self in dome domestic tie tungsten supply when the House e action had the effect of wiping out this hard won advantage antage Thousands of hard rock miners are idle today and the mines mine are closing one by one just at a time when tremendous increases in our need for tungsten are being bing developed For a lack of development of our own resources it is a fact that we depend on foreign powers for our supplies of stra strategic minerals In case of an emergency that would not be a satisfactory arrangement |