OUTPUT OF BAUXITE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1942, Page 4

OUTPUT OF BAUXITE

’ ! EXPANSION IN WESTERN HEMISPHERE. Aluminium is vital in war, especially for aircraft production. Excluding Russia, whose output is unknown, the chief Allied producers are U.S.A, and Canada. In 1938 German-controlled production was superior, but by 1941 North America had exceeded the Nazi output, while the margin will be considerably larger in 1942. Fighter aircraft take perhaps a ton of aluminium, and bombers, say, four to seven tons, according to their type. The key to expansion in production is cheap electric power (10 to 12 kilowatt-hours are required for one pound of aluminium) in which North America excels. In 1938 Continental Europe produced 55 per cent of the world output of bauxite, against 30 per cent in the Western Hemisphere. Since that year the output in Dutch Guiana has increased from 337,000 to 1,000,000 tons, and in British Guiana in the same way. Thus it can be safely assumed that the Allies are already outproducing the Axis in aluminium, and that their relative advantage will increase rapidly in line with their greater capacity for aircraft' production. This is the economic foundation which guarantees that our formidable programme of aerial armament can indeed be realised.