OCR Text |
Show A World Monopoly of Helium Is Being Squandered Squan-dered in This Country By DR. ROBERT B. MOORE, Government Chemist. The world monopoly of helium, "precious to national defense," is being be-ing squandered in this country without a thought to the future, Dr. Robert Rob-ert B. Moore, former chief chemist of the United States bureau of mines, declared in a statement made public through the American Chemical society. so-ciety. Doctor Moore urges congressional action, asserting the navy flyers need helium, but that adequate supplies are beyond their reach, because the secretary of the interior is handicapped through lack of appropriations. appropria-tions. The secretary of the interior has full authority to acquire leases by purchase or otherwise in order to obtain a reserve of helium-bearing gas for the national defense, but this authority without money does not mean much and it is now up to congress to provide the funds. Meanwhile 600,000,000 or 700,000,000 cubic feet of helium are going to waste every year in our natural gas, and it becomes increasingly difficult diffi-cult each year to get an adequate supply of reservation without unduly aftecting industry or the convenience of local users. Every 7ear this matter has been postponed and if congress does not take action it is going to make it not only harder but more expensive for the American people. The men who are looking forward to commercial aviation recognize fully the fact that helium must be used. They are for helium, provided they are given sufficient gas to fly their ships. Up to the present the plant at Fort Worth has produced more than 25,000,000 cubic feet of the rare gas. Of this, 20,000,000 cubic feet have been produced since September 30, 1923, and owing to a loss from storage due to leaky valves, etc., this total amount has not actually been available. |