The Spectator., 1915-05-04
IS BEST OF FRANCE
Section Held by Germans Is of
 Vast Importance.
Nearly One-Half Of industrial France and the Homes of One-Tenth of the Population Behind
 German Lines.

Washington, D. C.-The importance of the five per cent of French terri tory held by the Germans is strikingly set forth in a statement given to the press by the National Geographic so- ciety. It shows that while it is com paratively small in area it is very large indeed in industrial and agricul- tural importance. t says:
 Holding only about 10000 square miles of French territory, or less than one-twentieth of continental France, the Germans have behind their ad- vanced lines nearly one-half of indus trial France and the homes of one-tenth of her population. Pas-de-Calais, Nord, Aisne, Ardennes, Mouse and Meurthe-et- Moselle. of which the Germans hold all or the larger and most important parts, are the banner departments of France. Here are the mines, the foun- dries and factories, and the dairies and farms, which are the pride, the wealth and the strength of modern France. In this narrow strip under German occupation, there is produced 70 per cent of all coal mined in France, 90 per cent of all of the native-mined iron, and nearly half of the republics output of manufactured articles
 The iron and steel industry of the
 great republic lies almost entirely
 back of the German trenches. France stood fourth among the nations of the world as a producer of iron and steel, with an annual production of 3,600,000 tons of pig iron and of 3.100,- 900 tons of steel. This industry was centered and contained in northern France, for here were the raw mate rials. The Flemish coal basin, extend ing into the Nord and Pas-de-Calais where 100000 miners were employed, produced 50 per cent of the coal mined in France, and, practically. the coun- try's entire supply of fossil coal. The iron mines of the Meurthe-et-Moselle furnished S4 per cent of the total French output of iron, and this re- zion was reckoned as one of the prin- cipal irOn-producing. regions of the world
 With the French and Belgian iron and coal fields in their possession. the Germans would have almost a monop- oly of the iron and steel industries of Europe. Germany is now second only to the United States in the production of iron and steel. Before war con- | ditions set in, the United States pro-
 duced annually 24,500,000 tons of steel, Germany 12.300,000, Great Britain G. | 040,000 France 3,102,000 and Belgium 1,500.000. Germany is third among | the great industrial nations of the world in the production of coal, and
 with the French and Belgian mines behind her lines might easily equal the output of Great Britain, second upon the list. Thus. unusual interest attaches to the small strips of foreign lands back of the German lines.
 The Nord department. all but few square miles of whose coast lands is in the possession of the enemy. is in agricultural and industrial impor. tance the first department of France. In this department, and the depart ment of the Pas-de-Calais, Mouse and Meuthe-et- -Moselle are the great metal
 working plants of the French, the huge
 Pittsburgh and Cleveland mills, foun- | dries and machine works of that coun- | try. In these departments, further, is | a great part of the lands textile in | dustry, the cotton, woolen and linen | weaving. the working of lace and em- | broidery. the weaving of carpets, and | dyeing. Flour mills, brick kilns, dis tilleries, glass works, pottery works,
 shoe and hat factories, tobacco fac | tories, and large plants for the pro | duction of hardware, enameled iron, | hollow ware and edge tools are strewn | through this thickly-populated section l in profusion. In the shops situated | within these departments most of the French cabinet work is done. and, l here, near by the best fields, much of | the French sugar is refined.
 Moreover, here, where is the great
 est industrial development. is. also | the most intensive agriculture. Neigh | boring Belgians have not brought their farms up to higher standard of pro | duction than has been reached by the fields of these northern French de- | partments. Everywhere throughout
 this region, wher, there are no minea
 and factories, smiling gardens and fer 1 tile, well-cultivated farms take their
 place. All of the cereals. sugar beets. fruits, hops, tobacco. flax and large | droves of cattle are grown upon them. | Some of the best dairies of France are | in this territory.
 "The stretch of bare 10000 square
 miles, with it's population of 100000.
 it's bounteous agriculture. its rich coal
 and iron mines. and its teeming man.
 ufacture. is one of the most important
 districts in all Europe. Some idea of its richness can be had from the
 fact that while the average per acre
 value for all France is about $150. that