IRON RESOURCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24138, 3 December 1941, Page 11

IRON RESOURCES

NEW CALEDONIA FIELD JAPANESE AMBITIONS GREAT SOURCE OF WEALTH (0.C.) NOUMEA, Nov. 12 New Caledonia's iron resources amount to several milliards of tons. Industrial utilisation by France is out of the question, because economic transport to Europe is too costly. In these circumstances the French Colony looks to Japan and also to Australia to exploit her vast and easily accessible reserves, which cover scores of kilometres, chiefly in the south. If Australia, for reasons of her own or through shortsightedness, does not outer the field, then the Colony lias no alternative. Japan will ultimately become the big foreign Power in this island which is Australasia's Crete. , It is no secret that, when France collapsed, tempting Japanese offers were received both in the export (minerals) and import (merchandise) fields. Exports to be at most satisfactory prices, to be paid for by Japan in United States dollars, which would have kept the country going without so much reliance on sales to Australia and the United States. Scheme Frustrated The then Governor, I'elieier, without revealing his true intent, was actually trying to keep the Colony on what we now call the Vicliv side against the wishes of the majority of the inhabitants. It was his opinion, and that of the business people who supported him, that there was no reason why New Caledonia should not. continue to live under Vichy, making her maximum of profit out of the competition for minerals between rival camps in the Pacific. She would continue to buy as usual perishable consumer goods in Australia with money raised by minerals sold to Japan instead of to France. Manufactured goods, replacing French, would have poured in from Japan. The scheme Mas defeated by the patriotic feeling among the population, linked in Pacific and anti-Axis sentiment with the white democracies of the Pacific, and fearful of a too pronounced Japanese penetration of their strategically important island. Not Given Up Hope The Japanese, although frustrated, have still not given up hope of getting hold of the country's iron wealth, and are still making quite legitimate offers for large declarations on the Plains des Lacs, at the edge of which their present mine is situated. This is the Cascade mine at Goro, right on the sea. It is the only mine yet producing in the island, for interest in what in time to come may provide Caledonia with a very big industry is only just beginning. Another Japanese company some time back bought, for too high a figure many think, the iron deposits on the Isle of Art, the largest of the Belep group to the north of Caledonia. So far they have been unable to exploit this.

The Cascade Mine The Cascade mine is operated bv a company known as La Societe le fer. Its programme envisages a normal production of 500.000 tons per annum loaded on ships of 10,000 tons capacity. Ten such calls were made in ]9.'<9, the first year of exploitation, the ships taking away 8-1.567 tons, although much more ore than this was actually mined. It was estimated that MOO,OOO tons would leave for Japan in 1910, hut this figure was not reached. Production was speeded up this year, until September, when in view of the darkening situation in the Pacific the local de Gaulle Administration imposed a ban against the export of minerals to Japan. This ban lias resulted in a considerable slowing down, the company's first, move being the dismissal of 200 of the mine's 600 Javanese workers, who have, however, been found- work in other parts of this under-populated French possession. The whole policy of mineral exports to •lapan is now being reconsidered by the newly - arrived High Commissioner, Georges Thierry d'Argenlieu. Newly-Created Port In addition to the usual ore running 50-53 per cent, experimental shipments have been made of the local argile rouge (red earth), which averages 50 per cent iron, but needs special treatment. It is also credited locally with containing a small percentage of nickel—at Gore, at all events. There are unlimited quantities of this argile rouge which colours the southern mountains red. A year ago the Mines Department reported that three levels had been opened at the Cascade, respectively 'l5O. 400 and 350 metres in length. At Goro there are only a handful of Europeans, and about 50 Japanese, engineers and others. The offices of the company are in Noumea. The homogeneous nature of the Cascade ore is said to be remarkable. The work of installing the plant was begun in 1938. The newly-created little port is entered by a pass in the reef and boats of the size indicated tie up in 11 metres of water. They are loaded by endless chain at the rate of 700 tons an hour, that is to say, a 10,000-ton ship can charge in 15 hours. The equipment came from Japan.