of Iron Ore

Incredible Mass of Iron Ore Interesting Moves in New Caledonia

By R. W. Robson

Noumea, Oct. 22.

mHE enormous mass of iron ore — J. mixed with chromium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and various other metals —that constitutes a large part of the French island of New Caledonia is beginning to as sume international significance. In a world which, while declaring its hatred of war, is daily preparing for "‘the final arbitrament of arms,” the availability of metals is a factor which the major countries dare not ignore.

Iron ore is vital. Some people say that New Caledonia’s deposit is the largest and richest in the world.

Metal concerns in various countries, for long years before World War 11, showed a lively in terest in NC’s iron ore. Australia’s BHP has looked at it again and again. Important people in United States and Germany have investi gated. But all nations except one appear to have been scared off by the political and industrial set-up here, and the unpredictability of the French governing authority.

The exception was Japan. The Japanese got a large mining conces sion at Goro (on the southeast coast, nearly opposite Noumea) and they formed the Societe La Fer, registered it as a New Caledonian Company, brought in much equip ment and a large labour force, and began to ship something like 10,000 tons of ore per month. There was an open cut, a mile long, worked in six benches, each 30 feet high and 100 ft long; and the ore went straight from the faces, along con veyor belts, down into the ships’ holds.

At one time, not long before Pearl Harbour, there were from 15 to 20 Japanese ships to be counted at any one time at Goro, awaiting their turn at the loading bank.

After war broke out, the French Government seized and froze the property and interned the Japanese; and it is still “frozen.”

IHAVE had a day in a Land rover traversing the southeast corner of New Caledonia. We went through various ranges of low mountains, across the great Plain of Lakes (at least 50 miles long and 20 miles wide), and along the eas tern coast, liberally broken up into deep, landlocked harbours. I saw an occasional patch of bush in the valleys: some lovely wild orchids on the plains; one bird like a swallow; and one honey-bee which hung ex citedly around the rim of my glass

as we picnicked beside lovely Care nage Bay; but otherwise, for eight dusty, parched, jolted hours we saw not one sign of life —not one human being, not an animal, not even a scavenging ant.

This is one vast mass of iron oxide and the whole country is so heavily mineralised that it cannot sustain life. It is neither beautiful nor in viting—but the value of it, in a

world growing hungry for metals, is beyond computation.

Every expert that comes along— and hundreds have made this journey in recent years—sees the same thing; easily-worked, rich ore in such a position that it can almost be made to slide itself down to the ships, which lie beside the shore in deep water in a sheltered harbour.

Why, then, does one find a virtual desert, no human movement, in a region that should be teeming with industrial life?

There was a certain amount of activity and development before World War ll—a number of local shows, in addition to the big Jap anese installation at Goro —but all ceased when Asia invaded the South Seas in 1942. Since then there has been little more than manoeuvring by a variety of national interests for possession of the mining leases.

But, as the Cold War continues, and the nations are increasingly reaching out after metal supplies, the picture is changing.

A LARGE part of the Plain of Lakes is held securely by Ed ward Griffiths (a tough old Australian who came here 30 years ago to cut kauri timber, and became deeply interested in mining) and his associates: the great French Nickel Company has substantial areas; and some leading French

citizens of Noumea also are in on this iron floor.

All are eagerly awaiting the next moves. Mr. Griffiths, for example, has endless cobalt-bearing areas for sale. Cobalt is in demand in the new world of atom power; and is used much in connection with jet

propelled planes.

It seems most unlikely that Aus tralia can stay out of this picture.

Australia’s need for ore, and her production of steel, are growing every year. But Australia’s reserves of iron ore are not impressive.

At present there is an extra ordinary one-way traffic between Australia and New Caledonia. Ships run regularly from Eastern Austra lia with coal for Noumea’s large smelting-works, and go back empty.

Everyone asks, why don’t those ships carry back NC iron ore to the hungry steel-works at Newcastle and Fort Kembla? It is a much greater distance from Newcastle to Iron Knob, in South Australia, (whence comes much of Newcastle’s iron ore) than from Newcastle to Noumea. There is an explanation.

one supposes, but none here can give it.

SINCE 1952, the Japanese have been trying, with increasing urgency, to regain possession of their Goro iron ore concession, to assist in the re-establishment of their metal industries. The French do not appear to have been very co operative ; and so Goro remains “frozen.” But one hears that the United States, as part of her policy of building up Japan as a major bulwark of the Western world against Red Asia, is asking France to expedite Japan’s plan of regain ing access to these vast iron ore reserves.

One hears whispers, also, of other interesting angles on this metals situation. French administrative and top commercial people here are staunchly conservative and very definitely anti-Red; but, in recent years, there has been an intrusion into local government affairs here of a political element which, if not Red, is far around to the Left.

These latter people are quite aware of the international signi cance of NC’s huge mineral re sources; and some moves which have taken place here recently, in the fields both of politics and mine ownership, are construed as an at tempt to block the free movement of metals towards the Western and anti-Red nations.

With much of the world so eager to purchase rich metal ore, it is dif ficult to understand why France does not encourage the exploitation of these huge deposits, for the great enrichment of her old Pacific colony.

One expert has calculated that NC could sell one thousand million tons of this 50 per cent iron ore —and then probably could scarcely see the places it had been taken from.

I travelled for many hours across country that was solid iron ore; but otherwise it was so useless, from the viewpoint of sustaining life, that it might as well have been a hole.