In Canada the better portions of the corundum deposits seem to be controlled largely by one company—Manufacturers Corundum Co.—whose owners seem to be dominantly or entirely of Canadian nationality.
The Greek emery deposits, particularly those of Naxos, are claimed to be the inalienable property of the families resident upon the island.
There is no control of emery and corundum resources through ownership of crushing, milling, and grading plants, nor through patents or secret processes of preparation. Trade combinations as affecting emery and corundum supply are unknown. There are a number of milling companies in the United States, Britain, France, and Germany, who compete for the world’s supply of raw material, and those of each country compete with one another for markets for the graded, prepared material.
POSITION OF THE NATIONS
The United States has supplies of inferior emery and resources of corundum which are not developed adequately to meet the demands for natural abrasive materials. During the war the United States was short of the amount of emery and corundum desired by consumers. However, this shortage was offset by an excess supply of artificial abrasives.
England, in India and South Africa, has corundum supplies probably more than sufficient for her needs. England is probably well enough supplied with these abrasives, particularly as long as she continues to import from Canada and the United States the needed artificial abrasives.
France has no home supply of emery and corundum, but has large resources in her colony, Madagascar, and during the war controlled the Greek emery supply. Furthermore, France has in reserve rich bauxite deposits and hydro-electric power for manufacture of artificial abrasives.
Germany depended upon Turkish emery during the war. She is short of bauxite, but makes large quantities of carborundum.
Japan probably can supply her needs by drawing on Indian corundum resources and on the United States for artificial abrasives. During the stringency of supply in 1917 some material was exported to the United States from Japan.