14 
OUR MINERAL RESERVES. 
sources last year amounted to $112,000,000, exclusive of gold and 
silver, which would probably increase this total 50 per cent. The 
production of copper from foreign sources was by far the larger 
item, the value of the metal being more than $58,000,000, but Europe 
was not a considerable exporter, the ore and matte coming princi 
pally from Mexico, Canada, and Peru. Nickel having a value of 
nearly $19,000,000 and nearly an equal value of pig iron was pro 
duced from foreign ores, obtained mainly from Cuba. The largest 
metallic contributions from Europe are the ores of manganese and 
the ferroalloys, most of which are imported from European coun 
tries and represent a production of metals amounting to more than 
$8,000,000. Foreign lead and zinc, mainly Mexican ores, amounted 
to about $4,500,000 and $1,000,000, respectively. Although not im 
ported in as large amount as most of the metals already mentioned, 
platinum really presents a greater problem for the future, inasmuch 
as the production of about 39,000 fine ounces, having a value of 
$1,800,000, is derived mainly from Russian ores and concentrates, 
Colombia being the other foreign source. The sources of the anti 
mony, arsenic, and bismuth consumed in this country are largely for 
eign, and the world prices of bismuth have been fixed by a European 
syndicate. 
IRON. 
The European countries that rank next to the United States in 
the output of iron ore as of coal—Germany, Great Britain, and 
France—are at war, and Austria and Russia are also large producers, 
though they are below Sweden and Spain in rank. The interference 
with industries caused by military service can not fail to reduce the 
output of mine and furnace and to enlarge the demand for American 
iron and steel. The largest exporter of iron ore to the United States 
is Cuba and the next is Canada, but the imports from these countries 
can hardly be seriously affected by present conditions. The imports 
of iron ore into the United States are relatively small except to blast 
furnaces on the Atlantic seaboard, although it has been expected 
that unless commerce with the west coast of South America is inter 
rupted a considerable quantity of ore will soon come annually from 
Chile by way of the Panama Canal. 
The iron-ore reserves in the United States are so enormous, how 
ever, that iron-mining operations can readily respond to an increased 
demand for ore should occasion require it. The foreign trade of the 
United States in pig iron is also relatively small, and the imports 
and exports of both iron ore and pig iron and steel should remain 
low, and efforts should be concentrated mainly on the problem of 
increasing the exports of iron and steel products from the United 
States, as well as that of supplying manufactures of iron and steel 
to the domestic market that formerly depended on imported products.