Abstract
IN a valuable paper on "The Control of War Metals as a Peace Measure", by F. E. Lathe and S. J. Cook, of the National Research Laboratories, Ottawa, the view is expressed that, although Canada produces more than 80 percent of the world's output of nickel, control of distribution would not be a simple matter because only about 20 percent of the annual production is used for war purposes, and the metal frequently passes through several hands before reaching the ultimate consumer. The calculations are based on 1934 figures, but the estimates are believed to be still substantially correct. The pamphlet has been forwarded to NATTJBE by way of comment on a suggestion made in the course of an article on “Science and a World Foundation” published in our issue of August 6, p. 227. Two further possibilities must be borne in mind. Reserves of the metal could be readily accumulated by the Government of a country which anticipated war ; and, in the event of shortage, no effort would be spared to discover substitutes for essential metals. For an extended war, however, extremely large stocks would be required of such metals as iron and steel, copper, zinc and lead. The aim, therefore, should be to introduce restrictions of a temporary or unexpected character. But the only real hope of effective restriction lies in international action, and it would be most effective in the case of tin, antimony, nickel, copper and iron. This conclusion adds point to the proposal that scientific workers of all nations should, as a group, combine with other groups to give what help they can in promoting the evolution of a World State, capable when necessary of exercising suitable control over the distribution of such commodities.
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Control of Nickel Distribution. Nature 142, 505 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/142505a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/142505a0