The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-10-31
Officials of Steelton
Branch Learn Kaiser
Has Seized Plant in
Seraing. Belgium
THINK OTHERS
ARE DESTROYED
Confirmed Here That Ernest Solvav,
Multi millionaire Who Backs Steel.
ton Concern, Has Agreed to Pay
Part of Big Indemnity for Belgium

Officials of the Steelton plant of the
semet- -Solvay Company to-day an
nounced the receipt of information tina,
one of the four emet-Solvay plants.
IN the European war zone, has been
confiseated by the Germans and is now
oelng operated by the subjects of tn,
halser to aid the soldiers in the field.
Ihey also have received reports which
while they have not been officially con
firmed, lead them to believe that two
other plants were fred upon and de
stroyed during the heavy fighting b..
tween the belligerent nations. There
has been on information received CON.
cerning the condition of the fourth
plant.
These four European plants of til,
oenet 7Soivay interests, like the fou..
teen operated in the United States, in.
cludlng that in Steelton, are huge coke
plants and manufactures of bi.prod.
ucts. The Germans, the official report
says, are operating the plant at Serainq.
Belgium, and are using at least one IL
the bl-products, "benzol' chemical
having properties similar to those o.
gasoline or benzine to operate hiah.
powered motor vehicles which the
kaser's troops are using so effective,y
in battle
The four European plants were con-
strueted and have been operated hv
Belgium Semet-Solvay corporation. 4
| separate corporation controlled bv the
same interests operates the American
plants
Solvay frequently in steelton
Ernest Solway, Belgian, many
times millionaire and one of the oper.
ators of the many European and Amer.
lean plants, is now at his mansion in
Brussels, Belgium. Only recently the
officials here received word that he and
has family are safe and we'll. Ernest
Solvay has frequently visited the plant
in Steelton.
Some time after the Germans cap.
tured Liege, Brussels and other cities
and towns in Belgium, the Germans
made several demands for indemLities
from the Belgians. One of these was
equivalent to $1,000,000 in American
money. Later reports had it that Mr..
Solvay had agreed Individually to pay
the greater part of the $1,O00,000 in.
demnity demand and the officials of the
Steelton plant now say they have re-
celved confirmation of this story.
OF the four Semet-Solvay plants
within the present fighting zone, three
are situated in Belgium. One is near
the French border and nothing has been
learned concerning it since the war
broke out. The Germans are operating
the one at Seraing, Belgium, and it now
is feared that the plants at Nancy. in
northeastFrance, and Donbales, Belgian.
have been destroyed. That belief of the
local officials is based on censored war
dispatches which have indicated that
there has been heavy fighting and can
nonading in the immediate vicinity of
both these plants.
Germans Had Studied Plant
In the opinion of the local Semet Sol
way officials, the surprising feature of
the latest reports received here is that
they indicate that the Germans, long
before war was declared, had planned
to take over one or more of the Semet-
through Belgium could be made success.
fully. The Kaiser and his men well
know that "benzol" " would be needed
for propelling the motor vehicles, and
to get one of the Semet-Solvay plants
was the solution of that problem.
When Brussels was captured the Ger
mans drove the Belgians from the Sem
et-Solvay plant in Seraing and put an
entirely new force of German workmen
at work. These men were sufficiently
experienced to take charge of the
plant and Immediately operate it just
as effectively as did the Belgian em-
ployes.