LEAD AND MUNITIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 116, 19 May 1941, Page 8

LEAD AND MUNITIONS

GERMANY'S POSITION

AN "ECONOMIST" REVIEW

RUGBY, May 17

A comparison of British and German supplies of lead is made in "The Economist," which says that lead has always been one of the chief munition metals, but since the last war its importance in the armament industry has increased as the result of mechanisation.

Lead is used in the manufacture of electric batteries for aeroplanes, tanks, other military vehicles, and warships, The much increased firing power _ of machine-guns has caused a substantially increased demand for lead for the production of bullets. Germany finds it most difficult to cover her lead requirements. Germany and Austria together can produce some 100,000 metric tons of lead annually. Another 10,000 tons annually may be obtained from Poland, while Yugoslavia may be able to supply 80,000 metric tons, provided the mines have been kept intact. Spain, normally a not insignificant lead producer, has hardly any exportable surplus at present, as the whole Spanish output is required at home. Russia is not selfsufficient in lead.

Compared with Germany's estimated minimum requirements of more than 300,000 metric tons annually, the supplies to which she has access thus ap r pear seriously inadequate, even if allowance is made for the tonnage recovered from scrap.

Britain, on the other hand, while producing only about 40,000 metric, tons of lead annually from domestic sources, has access to ample supplies abroad. The British Empire produces about 600,000 metric tons annually, the great bulk of which is refined near the mines. The Empire's production is more than adequate for its needs. Indeed it exports a large quantity to the United States.

Last year the United States produced 458,000 metric tons. Her consumption, on the other hand, was 625,000 tons, against less than 450,000 tons in 1939. This deficiency between domestic supplies and requirements, however, was fully made up by increased imports from foreign soux*ces, chiefly Mexico and territories in the British Empire.—B.O.W.