The Price of Wolfram

Senator Brewster, Senator McCarran, and the others who plumped for economic aid to France, insisted that American dollars would soften the Caudillo's heart and make him a valuable ally against Communism, Spain, it was argued, is crucial as a military base and as a source of military power and strategic materials.

One of these materials is wolfram, an ore containing tungsten which is necessary for hardening steel. During the last war, Spain did a profitable business in wolfram, selling it to both sides at the highest price the traffic would bear. But during the past fifteen months, exports of wolfram from Spain have been very low; the United States has imported only five tons. The Spanish government raised the price of the ore from $2,300 a ton to $4,700 a ton last winter, and has now set a new export minimum of $4,900 a ton. This price is too steep for American steel makers, who have been forced to develop the inferior sources of ore in this country.

This should be too much even for the strong stomachs of Messrs. Brewster and McCarran. Even if they are impervious to Franco's corruption, to his refusals to put through any kind of democratic reform, to his campaign against the "freemasonry, Protestantism, and prostitution" being smuggled into Spain through Gibralter, their laissez-faire souls should rebel against his refusal to cooperate on strategic materials. Even new ambassador Stanton Griffls, who calls Franco "a perfect gentleman," should be feeling rather ashamed about his mission of "friendship" to Spain.