In recent years a great deal has been said and written about strategic minerals. Particularly when almost all useful minerals became strategic, governments realized the importance of accurate and up-to-the-minute information as to where metals and minerals occur, how rapidly they can be made available, and how long the ultimate supplies will last. In time of war such information is of critical importance, not only with regard to supplies accessible to ourselves and our allies but also with regard to sources available to the enemy. Plans for a lasting peace must also take into account the distribution of raw material supplies among nations.

World War II saw a large number of geologists employed in Wash¬ington, Ottawa, and other capitals, as well as in the field in all accessible parts of the world, working in partnership with mining engineers, economists, and business men in assembling information and putting plans into effect. The geologists' contribution was not strictly geological but grew out of acquaintance with varied mineral products, firsthand knowledge of the geography of many parts of the world, familiarity with deposits in remote regions, and facility in sizing up the potentialities of new and old districts either in the field or from descriptions.

Similarly, because of their acquaintance with mineral products and their experience in appraising mines, geologists have proved their usefulness as advisers and analysts to banks, investment houses, and commercial companies that have occasion to finance mining operations, invest in the stocks of mining companies, or deal in mineral commodities. In this type of work, the geologist becomes partly economist or business analyst. His work is in the home office or in the field, preferably alternating between the two. By astute reading of reports, he is able to weed out mining proposals that are based on incompetent or insufficient investigation. From the available geological description, he can form a guess as to whether the orebodies are of a type that can be economically mined and whether they will have extension beyond known reserves. From those proposals which appear attractive, he selects the ones which seem to be most worthy of further investigation. From his experience he can distinguish between sound, well-conceived exploration projects on the one hand and hare-brained promotion schemes on the other. In the field his greatest interest is in grade and costs, problems which are more in the line of the mining engineer than the geologist per se; his truly geological contribution is in sizing up the future possibilities— whether or not the mine or prospect is likely to grow up to be a larger producer and whether its life will be long or short.