OCR Text |
Show the country to discourage platinum In jewelry has been initiated by the American Chemical Society. The Women's National League for the Conservation Con-servation of Platinum has been formed form-ed as a national organization with Mrs. Ellwood B. Spear, Cambridge, uMass., as chairman. State councils have bten formed In fourteen of the leading states of the union, and even the efforts of the college women have been enlisted. Already throughout the country thousands of women have signed the following pledge: "I will neither purchase nor except as gifts Jewelry and other articles made In whole or in part of platinum, so that all possible" supplies of this precious metal shall be e.vailable for employment employ-ment where they can do the greatest good In the service of our country, and I further pledge my influence to persuade per-suade others to take the same patriotic patri-otic stand." WHY YOU SHOULD HOT BUY PLMIII-UW PLMIII-UW JEWELRY Stock of Platinum Now Held By Jewelers Jew-elers Has Been Ordered Seixed By Government Officials. WASHINGTON, June 13 The newest new-est tpe of slacker and one who is doing his country a great amount of harm, is the man or woman who buys or even encourages the purchase of platinum jewelry, according to the bureau of mines, department of the Interior. For the country Is and for many years will bo desperataly in need of the scarce and precious platinum plat-inum in its Industrial work and must have it if the war machine is to go full Rpted ahead. A plan propoted by the federal officials offic-ials would stop the use of platinum in Jewelry, not only for the war but for all time. Officials of the government who are in close touch with the situation situa-tion are filled with apprehension as to the future supply of platinum. As far as can be learned, it Is believed that pslde from the large amount of platinum plat-inum metals Jn the form of manufactured manufac-tured jewelry, a large part of which Is !n private ownership, there la less than 25 per cent of the normal stock of unmanufactured platinum In this country available tor the needs of the war. In an effort to fill the immediate pressing needs of the government In Its war program, the war Industries board has ordered that 75 per cent of the stock of pli.tlnum In the hands of manufacturing .jewelers be commandeered comman-deered and abo the complete stock held by refiners. Importers and dealers, deal-ers, but this, 1t is said, will only fill a small gap and that temporarily. It has been hoped by federal officials offic-ials and chemists throughout the country coun-try who understand the seriousness of the situation that the whims of fash-Ion fash-Ion might yield to national needs and that purchasers of Jewelry would demand de-mand gold and silver or a white alloy and so releare platinum for Its highest use, but the results have been disappointing. disap-pointing. The American Chemical Society, an organization composed of the leading 12,000 chemlBts of the country, which is also back of this movement, has Issued p.n appeal to the people not tnder any c'reumstance eithtr during the war or arter the war to use platinum plat-inum Jewelry, but to conserve this unique at'd fact dwindling metal now i priced at five times the cost of gold for the exclusive uso of the 'chemical and other necessary Industries. The , flrt purpose will be to obtain a suf-i suf-i fk-ieut supply of platinum for the needs of war. 'snd then to retain the production of the future for the indus-tries. indus-tries. It Is claimed that even before the war, as a result of this unreasonable unreason-able craze for platinum In jewelry, the highly Important work of the chemists has been curtailed and research work, especially , in the universities, handicapped handi-capped by Inability to meet the constantly con-stantly rising price for platinum "The utmost importance of the entire en-tire country coming to a full and serious seri-ous understanding of the dire ned of platinum In the industries, and especially espe-cially the war Industries, Is apparent to alf technical and scientific men," said Van. If. Manning, director of the bureau of mines, but, unfortunately, the people generally have not the proper conception of the situation. This condition has risen naturally through the insistent advertisement of platinum jewelry, the buyers being unaware of the need of platinum In the Industries. Women , Buy Too Much Platinum "The scarcity of platinum throughout through-out the world and its high price is apparently due almost solely vo the fact that the women of this end other countries have been recently led to consider it a choice article for adornment. adorn-ment. I believe this to be due to an entirely false conception, as there are other white metals equally available for the setting of gems and the production, produc-tion, which would be used In Jewelry today e1tc"rt for thr fact that they are not so cotly as platinum. When the price of platinum was less than that of gold, there was practically no demand de-mand for It in Jewelry and only a slight use as a netting for gems. Over 50 per cent of the country's supply of platinum Is now used annually for jew elry; an entirely unessential purpose. No jewelry Is more easily imitated than platinum, nnd much white metal jewelry Is now on the market which cannot be told from platinum by the uninitiated. "it is Inconcf Ivable to me that any woman would wear a lead colored ring or bracelet or adorn herself with lead-colored lead-colored jewelry, except that its artificially arti-ficially produced high price has been made to give it a false value tn her eyes. 'When our basic war needs for platinum are going to be met only with the greatest difficulty, I certainly certain-ly cannot consider the purchasing of platinum jewelry patriotic now and It appears to me to be very doubtful good taste at any time. "I am most heartily In favor of any crusade that will have for Its purpose the banning of platinum for jewelry for all time and under all circumstances. circum-stances. I bileve that the women of the country are as patriotic as In any other country and that when they understand the situation, they will decline to purchase platinum Jewelry, and also, if the occasion ever arises, give up all platinum jewelry they now have. Crusade Against Use of Platinum 'The bureau of mines Is pleased to lend Its efforts to those of the American Ameri-can Chemical Society In such a patriotic patri-otic endeavor." A movement among the women of |