22 
OUR MINERAL RESERVES. 
These calculations do not take into account the increased exports 
of zinc pigments that must absorb some of the domestic surplus zinc 
resources. Moreover, the United States imports each year from 
Continental Europe about 2,500 tons of zinc dust. This supply of 
zinc dust is now cut off, and the dust has already greatly advanced 
in price. Zinc dust is produced at two American smelters and could 
easily be produced at others, so that no doubt the better prices will 
result in the whole demand being supplied from domestic sources 
and thus absorbing another portion of the surplus zinc ore. 
LEAD. 
The effect of the war on the lead situation is as yet uncertain. One 
month of war has not disturbed the already low price of lead in the 
United States, but it would seem that the conflict must ultimately 
enhance the price. All exports of lead as well as of copper and zinc 
have been forbidden by the English Government, which has requi 
sitioned all visible supplies, so that no lead is now available for 
the English consumer. Great Britain will apparently be the best 
market at present for American lead, although the lead now imported 
into England comes mostly from Spain and Australia, and so long as 
ocean transportation is available it will naturally continue to come 
from those countries. In 1913 the imports of lead into Great Britain 
exceeded her exports of lead by over 180,000 short tons. 
The following table shows the lead output of the principal produc 
ing countries in 1912-13, in short tons: 
World's production of lead in 1912 and 1918. 
392,517 
205,799 
194,666 
118,387 
132,276 
56,438 
32,187 
34,282 
115,961 
1,282,513 
1913 
411,878 
223,767 
199,627 
127,867 
68,343 
55,997 
33,620 
30,864 
118,495 
1 270.458 
United States (domestic refined). 
Spain 
Germany 
Australia 
Mexico 
Belgium 
Great Britain 
France 
Other countries 
It seems likely that the war will curtail this output about 250,000 
tons, nearly one-fifth of the total production. Inasmuch as the prod 
uct of those countries affected by the war would probably have been 
mostly consumed in the countries themselves, and as they are not now 
in a position to use much of the metal in arts and manufactures, it 
seems probable that the market value of lead will not be much 
affected by the curtailment of production. 
Lead smelted from foreign ore in bond and articles manufactured 
from foreign lead and exported with benefit of drawback have been