AMERICA’S GREAT RESOURCES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1439, 22 November 1917, Page 38

AMERICA’S GREAT RESOURCES.

LEADS THE WORLD IN PRODUCTS. That America’s entry into the war will materially count towards the Allies’ victory cannot be denied, especially when her large resources are taken into consideration. Statistics recently compiled show that the United States leads the world in: corn, cattle, copper, wheat, coal, aluminium, oats, petroleum, zinc, cotton, pig iron, silver, tobacco and steel. But go into a little detail about these fourteen resources of nature. Argentina is the second greatest producer of corn; the United States produces 9 bushels of corn to every single bushel produced in Argentina. Russia is the second greatest producer of wheat. For every bushel of wheat that Russia grows, the United States grows 1.21 bushels. In oats the United States produces 1.53 bushels for every bushel produced in the second greatest country, which is Russia again. British India ranks second in cotton and tobacco. The United States outproduces that country 3.79 times in cotton, and 2.36 times in tobacco. In cattle the United States grows 1.8 head to every single head grown in the second greatest country, which once more is Russia. In petroleum, yet again, Russia ranks second, but for every barrel of oil that Russia produces, the United States produces 4.1 barrels. The United States leads in coal by 1.87 tons to every ton the United Kingdom produces. In pig iron and steel Germany ranks second. The United States’ lead over Germany’s production is 2.58 to 1 in pig iron, and 2.46 to 1 in steel. Copper, another prime necessity in war, gives Japan second place. But the great Lake Superior deposits give the United States such a tremendous supply it can deliver 8.26 tons every time Japan contributes 1 ton. The United States produces 2.481b5. of aluminium to every pound that comes out of the ground in France, the second biggest producer. In zinc the United States outproduces Germany 1.11 to 1, and in silver it is first by a very slight margin over Mexico, 1.02 to 1.

Between 40 and 50 a man who allows his weight to remain high is running more danger of an early demise than he would run if he contracted typhoid fever, declares a writer in the “American Magazine.” What is more, if he were stricken with that disease his chance of recovery would be 10 per cent, less than normal. A man who is thinner than the average, on the other hand, has less danger of dying in this decade than a man who tips the scales at the normal figure. When a man is in his twenties a deficiency of 20 pounds in weight makes him 12 per cent, more liable to fall before the scythe of the implacable reaper. A slight surplus of flesh seems to assist one n escaping diseases that cause death in this period—principally tuberculosis and typhoid fever. A man in h : s 'fifties who is 20 pounds over normal weight has a 15 per cent, mortality handicap to face. Should he be 40 pounds over weight his chances of dy ng are increased 45 per cent, thereby.

A junior surveyor on an English railway had just been promoted to his position when the manager sent for him one morning. “Now, young man,” he said, “they say the river’s rising near one of our most important branches. Get along down there at once and report on the position. And, look here, don’t be so beastly longwinded as you usually are in your reports. Just say what you find, without any unnecessary verbiage or comments that are not to the point. We want business correspondence here —not love letters. You understand?” The young surveyor nodded, took his instructions deeply to heart, and went on his way. Next morning his first report arrived as follows: “Manager—Where the railway track was the river is.”

Tolstoi’s maxims: 1. What you have set yourself, carry out without fail, and at all costs. 2. What you do, do well. 3. Never refer to a book for what you have forgotten, but strive to remember that something for your-

self. 4. Force your intellect to work always with its greatest vigour. 5. Always read and think aloud. 6. Never hesitate to tell people who are hindering you that they are standing in your way. Give them a hint; and, should they not take the hint (to the effect that they are hindering you), beg their pardon, and tell them so outright. * * * * “If you couldn’t scrape up more loyalty to your country than you do for your church, Germany would lick us to a frazzle in a jiffy.”—Billy Sunday in one of his famous New York sermons. * * * * An old Japanese prophecy says: “When men fly like birds, 10 great kings will go to war against one another.”