NICKEL AND WAR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 606, 8 September 1909, Page 5

NICKEL AND WAR.

. .WHAT ENGLAND HAS MISSED.' j ,/ f ANd'tHE WORIiD HAS LOST.'. ■ ■{ THE''PRESIENCE ' OF A ' WELLINGTON . .'■ ;,:"'.:'': ' RESIDIiNT.'. "■ •■„.-. ..ts-,, ; J . Assuming that nickel is.an essential metal . in ~the manufacture .'of armour-plate .and .j cannon, and that, there is no ■ other ; metal i that', would exactly contribute /that ; attri- ' butoto steel which has - brought it into uni-: versal use where..arms,and.tho man are con-; ; cerned, ,-the. control of tho supply, .would -, moan miich to the,nation fortunato.eupugh ■ to .possess', it. : To.'go, one step furthor, if nickel be au absolute necessity in tho' maiiu.fncturo of. War. appliances,'; the nation-con-trolling the. world's supply—jvbich; is limited practically'to; the output, of. Now Caledonia; and: Canada—would • be in the: position. ol dictating terms to'the ' world. " There .is nothing new in thb idea to-day,' but.'it might, easily; have, been turned. to some, account if acted;-upon ;many years. 'ago,"' ; when /Mr.Georgo ; Henry , Danes, of Karbri,-' wrote ; Home'to the Admiralty,-, throwi[ig:,oiit':the suggestion -that England might''"corner"-tho, nickel supply of the world. On March, 24 last - The Dominion made reference to this'matter , as, follows;— / " ■■ •'■::■';'.:'--'r'i:. : , • ,;■: .'"Among .those who take a warm'sinterest: ~'in .imperial alfairs' is "Mr. Davies: of i :.K.aror;/wuo'recalls'.an incidcnt'in which ; ; ■iie;was,concerned many'years;'ago. ; ; It '■• related- to the available output, of nickel, ; /the metal- used for hardening , ; 'cannon/ .; steel, .and - armour-plate. ; Thjs., metal, : 'cays Mr. Davies, is. any i v ':* quantity: in- two; places in' the"world,'at' : [-.' 'Stidbury," in -Canada, '■ and in/New .Cale- -i ..dpm'a.i Iniview..of the.importance of tho , .Dritish Government always being able to, ;,'■ get supplics/'and with the possibility, of, ; ".making it more difficult for other nations;::.' " : to command the 'nickel required -for; 'the; : ;'.processiof cannon' and armour-plate'.mak- :;; ing;' Mr.. Davis .wi'ote Home-to,. the .First :' '/'Lord of Admiralty,-suggesting.that steps ■■ '-'..; should bo taken' by the Imperial'-authbri-;•:.,-': , ,'ties to obtain'pre-emptive'right. over' the-'.; ■/output..'.'.of;the,Sudbury, mines,.;sb-:that.: •■ ~'. in" the■ case; of ■ any, 'serious: threat 'on. the ; ■ ':",-part of- any-other nation,.a'/prbhibitivo ' '. '■■■'"tariff.'could;,be imposed.; In ; dno,course : ■the'.'W.ellingitjJiiari'.; received : : a "•."formal ■ ;reply from,his Lordship's.priyatb/secrer-; ~ .;'; tary, •to.tho clfect .that, it .was-Vihatter' .' - in/which, he was'not qualified .to;:gLyo an . • .opinion, which somewhat 'quaint-repiy. to'.. ;,.;a,, mere;.suggestion:.is' still in; the.JKarbVi;..' <; resident's possession. Mr. DavicsVinaih-' /.tains that,, had his thought been'acted /:upon,' a position such.as has arisen:would • ••".I have been impossible (this. refers to Ger- ,;,: miny's;" prpgranimb .of. Dreadnoughts),' : i'vahd further states '.that Germany obtains.,, /■'her. supplies -of;nickel,from' the.Sudbury , , -mines /(Canada); : located ; .on,- British: ■ ',; Soil.'';/; ■;"./;..',,;,, :\' ;■ ), '/ ".>,";";: . , 1 ;-- ,-'•' «■.-;:■-:•'■;.'■ 'i .That -there 'was food .for reflection .'and, possibly the springs of action': in Mr. DaviesV ■ idea'.'no' one will" doubt. • Corroboration of tho cbnclusion arrived 'at'by Mr." Davies appeats in-the August number of "Life, "i which'ox.tracts;,/the following;, from.-, tho"' ''World; ■ To-day":--' ; 'Tiyo schemes for ;,the,',6uppros-; ,sip'n;of/:iyarVmado their; appearanoe' during: the,'month;, 'In .the .'.World, Tb-day,'.; Mr.,' A... H. Duttoii'suggests that;all;..the great'Pow-, 'era'should'agree io" hand'pvor'tn'eir : 'fleets : •arid'.armstoa sort of > glorified Hague '•- tri--. •bunal.v. maintain-a nationali army; of "500,000 soldiers andia' riavy-bf/say.': 50','cruisers., and • gunboats.; ■■;■. ;As ■ all'ithe.'- great' 'Powers..would ; be stripped -of armamehtsi'by: :their-:'ow;n--act,.-this-modest, fbrce'/cduld; force''peace.eyerywhere,- and, naturally'the] :gain-in 'caßh' arid comfort to:jhankind. \w\ii .bbv'bey'bhd.'tho,power,, of .speech;,to. express. : ;The Question '\%, Whioh of.the groat' Powers ;will.;.lead."the;;way, in' surrendering its "■fleets, : an'd. armies to ; a central, court of this'kind? Jiidgb",'Barron offors' a much more' modest: iSpheme'i for:' :• stopping; that .procession, of •Dreadnoughts which .is. beginning- to affright: :tlio, wprld.. ";Nic'kcl steel-plate' is necessary: ;for.;the.;armament; of, grpat' battleships,',and: ■it / seems; that .Caiiada' aiidNow ■- Caledonia' alono., KayQ'sdopo?its. ,of.; nickel.,, /It; must,- b'oj •.boifeht-'frbra. one or.;the'bthor;bf'these. iNow', if ,Cjnada refused to. sell; nickel to' Germany, and.France put' a' stop to.the.supplies from New "Caledonia, the thing . is'-done I / '.There. ,'ypu; are,';;; says,' Judge. Barron/ /'Germany cariridt;build any more, Dreadnoughts,' But. he'.'adds; that,''"of' course,, Canada ;would' let: "Great Britain have what nickel sho w'antsj' •and'.thus, in a;way.'which,is.'deliciously'simple, ;thd' sea'supremacy of' the,, British ■ Empire;'is/assured,' and tho'. competition : ib--Dreadnbugbts; will come to augend. The fate' of.the/world, according to: Judge Barron, would be changed, if • somebody ivould ; only 'make'/a/'eonier .-in nickel!". . •.:':, /',,".■ . -Mr!; Davies,, who; brought the':above paragraph; under our notice,-states,that it is'be-/ ypnd; question that ,if ; England- possessed;'- a' l monopoly oyer the output of' nickel .'pro-; duced/in her.own sbil;,;her supremacy on.the soas. would .'never have, been; threatened; 'there would have,been no necessity fbr.the huge/expenditure on, her; navy and ,tho..'pro-' cessibn of Dreadnoughts, and the .control of' tho metal:in question would have been' stop-, ped."••; W.ith: tlio exception of France (dc-' ; pendent on 'New Calcdonia'forher .supply, of, 'nickel),,'jEriglarid w'ould' have : up '.rivals. ! > 'France'.;certainly | would not supply Germany; mth'; any.,,;lf ,'tho .step suggested Wad beeil/'-takoii, Mr. 'Davies' claims', that there would have ,been' no 'Boer war, ! ;as' thb Bpers /cbiild not 'have'';been supplied 'witli ,guns;'/'and thbusands ;of British lives,' ami millions''of'/money ' would-haVe'been'save'd , , : - andj/further, the Dominions of Canada and New/Zealand and/the'/Commonwealth .'of Australia-would not be called' on to hear the heavy .burden/that; is "to 'be' thrust -pn them., under-the' new, ;naval defence 'scheme.Aceordihg to;the latest '"Naval' Annual,!' a supply.'pf.hickplis ;ohe:of' ; thoee'''attrcles, : ,'a .large'; ; qiiahtity. of, which must ;be' kept -in stqek.'•:.This '/further-. . strengthens, vMr.' Davies's -theory,that, .had the nickel output • of, the world: been commandeered; England .cbjild'''have dictated' a. word- more blessed .the .word—peace.'/'. ,'■'■ ..', , The^Stidbury/Mines., *'"'-.'; •' ''■'■.;''.!■;';.;/ ; !FuUy; three-fifths 'i of the -nickel 'supplyi of .the.- world, ,'is : (says ( a : correspondent. of - the Vancouver■'.'''Province'-'). obtained "from 'the mines/jn .this'district. Last,/year.-these, mines' prodriced. minerals, valued '■ at'/ over' :13;d00,000 ; dollars,, or nearly twice'the Rvalue of ..the "gold produced in the-Yukon.'/The largest; and wealthiest / nickel': mines ■ii: the ;world' arb: located > around•'this'-tpwn,: 'arid withi-furtberdevelppment'they are'destined to. : .become; still greater.- At /the present/time some-five -tbousaijd people ".derive, a-.living 'from/these; ores. Twenty -years 'ago, "the .tirist deposit/was discovered,:but,'throughout the district'•'are, many, monuments; to-/the failures\of/early /prpspectors'.'•', Other/land-- ' inarks-tell'of;the' success;of;explorers;after months of patience,, hardship, ■ana-endnrance. V : The/ bbribur' of. discovering.' these.', mih«i belongs' to'; Judge; M'Nanghton,. a .stipendiary magistrate "for .this-district ;in 1885.' ;it";was his habit to-spend much' time in by;limself,,,and,one-day'when he' ; failed'to turn..up:;a,t nightfall;' as-was hjs'.custom, 'a" v .report'was'crrculated'to; the-' effect/tHat he:;was'lost in;tbeSbnsh.;',ln?the'morning search, ■; parties.,wero : . organised/, and :, Judge M'Naughton; was "disebvbred :seated; oh' .a, small knoll; deeply'engrossed in, the examiria-tioh-of:ah 'of, yellow metal, which 'looked like cbppor. This'find'; was afterwards developed,into the'Murray'mine,'and.as far , as can be .Jearned was the ' first' discovery .of nickel iin •'Canada./'.. .'■ ':.;.: ~/;:. Canadians' Lost Opportunity. '/ / ' -The nows Of tho -discovery spread liko wildfire air over the country, and in a short . time the.district;swaTmcd with prospectors, 'many important outcroppings: being discovered: ; In; 1886 Sir -John' : Macdonald, Sir Charles iTupper, Sir William: Van Home, Sir "George -Stephen,, and others whose/names. 1 we're . household, 'words', on .Account of:'their 'connection' • with politics 'or finance,' visited the "new fields. ./Hero/was :tho. chance' for Canadian .enterprise and' Canadian' capital, ;, but'; Canadians failed.to grasp it, and through dilatory,methods of financing companies the .rich deposits', fell into.'the; hands of Americans: This delegation of capitalists returned ! after \*isiting'the nickel discoveries, and the I bnlv'evidence: of "'their visit-romains'in.'tho I 'ciiriiteniDß-of'tlio-J'LAdy.-Macdaii^'^-siiflei

However, shortly afterwards a party of Amorican capitalists from Ohio visited tlio claims arid appeared to be, vory favourably -impressed witn what thoy saw. They majr have, had some vision of tho future or thoy. may have been/more oxporienced in mining' m'atters,":but the fact-remains they' secured control of the district, and made millions on their/deal. ■ / , Developed for-Copper, i" ' Judgo' Stevenson Burk, Thomas Cornell, H. P. M'lntoah", Senator Payno, and others from Ohio organised tho Canadian Copper Company with a capital of 2,500,000 dollars. Thoy at once commenced; operations, and thus ,it was'.Americah's secured tho greatest nickel mines'in the world'.".'Bomo are of tho opinion that'-the "Americans came over and '.stole'the, mines iwhilo Canada was asleep. The Canadians may have been'asleep to their interests 'at the . time, hilt tho deal was straightforward and above-board in ovcry •way.' It was a simple caio of buy and sell, the - Americans purchasing prospects the Canadians did not consider worth develop-ing.-In 1886, when the company was formed, nickel was'not what it is to-day, and as'the nbmo of' the 'company ■ indicates, it was formed for the.purpose of developing' copper deposits. /Certain discoveries were made and-nickel became one, of the most useful metals,.' being manufactured from'the slag 'produced when the.copper wds smelted. Since, 1886' the Canadian Copper Company has paid -millions of dollars in dividends, and its' .stockholders ; have become rich at the cxpense of the .Canadian capita/lists' who,were not'sufficiently long-sighted to realise the' value of the discovery. Named after Evil Spirit. .' • • / About two hundred years ago, •in ono of tho-German copper mines,: an ore was discovered which had all'the appearance of cop-' ■ per,' biit • every known prbcess failed to get any'copper,from this; ore. The German miners-, of. .those: times : .wcre f j : suporstitious— 'in'fact most miners, are to-day. lliey, claimed they could: hear the kobolds, the pixies', and '■the-gnomes'.at'"work in the niin6 from which .this ore 'wastakenj and.,,when'the .smelter failed to; .produce':copper form the ore.they' , nil;'refused; tor go into the /workings again,, saying thoj'bw had been cursed by an evil spirit." They called this ore "kupfor-nickel' 1 . or Old Nick copper. vCobalt, a name which lias", becomb so familiar :6f, late, is' nothing', more,than the German for.an evil spirit. '/■.This:curious,ore aroused the. interest of tlio scientists of- the'.world, and for years 'oliemists .worked' on, it". Cronstedt, a'-fam-ous German'chemist, began a series-of ex'pefiments/with ,this copper and succeeded' in .isolating a metal iiiilike, anything that had been seen before. ' It was not copper, it was'.not silver,' though it' looked more liko ,the: latter. - Although the ore was proved •to !be of, the name, of Old Nick, stuck to it/and it is still kno«T\-as nickel. /Several years 'later another mineral was discovered, in this .ore,''and. on account,of its : hidden /qualities was called kobold for the reason already-^given., In time kobold liecamd cdhalt, tho name by-which tho mineral ik-noV known.. That an Ontario town should ■'owe"! its name to a German evil .'spirit seems strange, but ( it is a suitable one on account' of' the millions' of dollars' wortn of silver "cobalt found there.' ■': *,/