18 
OUR MINERAL RESERVES. 
Kattowitz, Beuthen, and Tarnowitz districts, which are adjacent to 
one another and lie within 5 or 10 miles of the Polish-Prussian 
border and near the corner of Russia, Austria, and Germany. The 
two smelters in Russian Poland are just across the border from the 
Silesian smelters. They all seem destined soon to be compelled to 
suspend or decrease operations on account of military activities, 
and in any event their output certainly can not reach the outside 
world. The same thing is true of the smelters in Rhenish Prussia 
and Westphalia, some of which are very near and most of which 
are within 100 miles of Liege. In Belgium all but three or four of 
the zinc-smelting plants lie between Venders and Liege or are strung 
along the valley of the Meuse between Liege and Namur; and their 
industrial prospects can well be imagined. The zinc smelters of 
France lie outside of the territory where active military operations 
are likely, and so will probably suffer only from scarcity of labor 
as the employees are called to the colors and from derangements 
of transportation. The same is true of the zinc smelters in Eng 
land; but those of Austria-Hungary will, of course, be put out of 
commission. Other small smelters in Europe, Australia, and Japan 
will possibly not be affected except as transportation is interrupted. 
From these observations it can be seen that the zinc-smelting indus 
try of Europe will be in a sadly demoralized condition while the war 
continues and for some time thereafter. 
If the war continues for one year, the output of these countries for 
that period would, at a conservative estimate, be only about 250,000 
tons—a loss of nearly 500,000 tons for the year. The continental 
spelter market will also be demoralized, however, so it may be that 
the reduced production will still be ample. Apparently England’s 
industrial activities after the first readjustments are over may not 
be seriously restricted. 
The war only serves to emphasize a condition which already con 
fronted the zinc industry of the United States—that smelting capac 
ity and spelter production have increased faster than consumption 
in the United States, as shown by a growth from 98,958 retorts, 
having an estimated maximum capacity, when working on high-grade 
ore, of 404,900 tons in 1910, to 127,754. retorts at the close of 1914, 
with the completion of those now building, having an estimated 
maximum capacity of 542,955 tons. The production in 1910 was 
reported to be 210,424 tons; the production for the first half of 
1914 is at the rate of over 350,000 tons a year, and no doubt the 
second half of the year will witness a considerable gain over that 
figure. The increase of spelter stocks from 4,522 tons at the close 
of 1912 to 40,059 tons at the end of 1913, and to 04,039 tons at the 
middle of 1914, also shows that production is increasing faster than 
consumption.