 In 1917, AMCO refined 250 million pounds of copper, 547 million pounds of zinc, and 168 million pounds of lead.Loeb became president of AMCO after Longeloth died in 1914.Before the United States entered World War I in October 1917, Metallgesellschaft (then led by Richard Merton, the son of Wilhelm Ralph Merton), transferred its 51% ownership in AMCO to several American citizens who were also AMCO managers.