this mineral has obtained strategic im portance in the war program for purposes that cannot as yet be divulged. Sub stantial quantities of pure suboptical grade calcite suitable for this new use have been found in California, Colorado, and Montana. Quartz crystals, in addition to their optical value, are indispensable in radiofrequency control and telephony. At present the bulk of such crystals suitable for these purposes comes from Brazil, but every effort is being made to develop domestic sources of supply. One can form a rough idea of the value of quartz crystals in communications from the fact that by employing a pair of these crystals for each circuit, as many as 720 telephone conversations may be carried on simultaneously over a single wire. Jobs for Gems The jobs which gems and near gems are filling in this total war are far less glamor ous but decidedly more essential than that of adding to the charm of beautiful women. Full advantage is being taken of the out standing characteristic of the diamond— extreme hardness—which no other sub-
stance can match. Diamond drills are not only responsible for the success of much of our mineral exploration work, but diamond dies, abrasive wheels, precision tools, and diamond dust have greatly speeded the output of finished products. Natural and synthetic alumina in the form of rubies, sapphires, corundum, and electric furnace products are performing an invaluable service as bearings for pre cision instruments, as well as in the grind ing and polishing of optical lenses. As evidence of the importance of diamonds and other gem stones in the war program, the value of those used in this country during 1942 amounted to over $50,000,000 as against $12,000,000 in 1933. The bulk of this increase is due to the demand for industrial diamonds. The Bureau of Mines has been explor ing an area in Pike Country, Ark., from which substantial quantities of diamonds have been recovered in the past, but it seems rather unlikely that the United States will ever be an important diamondproducing country. 4 Conclusion Now that the tide of battle has turned in favor of the United Nations, there is an
increasing tendency to think in terms of the coming postwar period and to devise schemes for preventing a sudden and disastrous economic slump. Planning for peace is all very well as long as we do not forget that we are still engaged in the greatest war of all time, where there is no place for wishful wisdom. The industrial minerals and their deri vatives are primarily peacetime products whose function is to promote the progress of science, art, and industry. But whether the present world conflict continues in definitely or is brought to a close during the present year, these materials will have played an essential role in bringing about our ultimate and final victory. It does not require an expert economist to foresee that after peace is declared enor mous quantities of industrial minerals will be required to repair the ravages of war. Literature Cited (1) Mansfield, G. R.t Am. Inst. Mining Encra., Tech. Publ. 1208 (1940). (2) U.S. Bureau of Mines, Minerals, Yearbook Review of 1940, pp. 1135-36 (1941). (3) Waggaman, Wm. H.. Chem. & Met .Eng.. 46, 66-8 (1939).
Robert E. Waterman General Vice Chairman, ACS
Meeting
N e w York, Ν . Υ . . September 11 to 15 DOBEKT
E.
WATERMAN
was
born
VOLUME
Î2, NQ, 14
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duction of quinachrine, the synthetic' antimalarial commonly known as Atabrine, which is being used in tremendous volume as a substitute for quinine. Very recently he has become a vice president and director of Schering Corp., pharmaceutical manufacturers of Bloomfield, N. J. He will, however, continue to act as secretary of the Williams-Water man Fund for the Combat of Dietary Diseases, a special fund of Research Corp. which receives the major portion of the license fees on the vitamin B t patents. Mr. Waterman has been a Councilor of the North Jersey Section of the AMERI
in
•* Orange, N. J.f on September 23, 1899. After attending Williams College for two years, he transferred to the Massachu setts Institute of Technology where he received the degree of bachelor of science in chemical engineering in 1921. Upon graduation he entered the Engineering Department of the Western Electric Co., which became the Bell Telephone Labora tories in 1926. His work in the Chemical Research Department of the laboratories was primarily concerned with organic and biological problems, for the most part in connection with wood preservation. As a part of this latter activity, he was for many years chairman of the Preserva tives Committee of the American Wood Preservers Association. During most of his years with the Bell System, Mr. Waterman as an avocation worked with R. R. Williams on the iso lation, structure, and synthesis of vita min Bi, mainly at Teachers College, Colum bia University, where for several years he had an honorary appointment as re search associate. In 1940 he became an employee of Research Corp., to which the Williams Bi
CAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY for the past four
patents were assigned. His work with Research Corp. has been in the adminis tration of university patents and recom mendations on grants-in-aid for research projects. Since early 1942 he has been a part-time consultant for the Alien Prop erty Custodian and has been the Custo dian's special representative in the pro-
» » JULY
«5, 1 9 4 4
years and has recently been chosen Chair man-Elect of that section. With his wife and two children he lives in Harding Township in the country a few miles outside of Madison and Morristown, N. J. A too extensive lawn and an equally overextended vegetable garden now demand all of his free moments available for out-of-door activities and seem to have brought about a complete divorce from his golf game which he says was deteriorating to an embarrassing degree. 1171
