Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-08
BUSINESS PRINCIPLES
APPLIED BY GERMANS
Commissions Organized to Provide
for Continuance OF Work in
France and Belgium.
PROBLEMS WIDELY DIssINuLAR
Furnish Materials Where These Are
Lacking and Supply Workers
Where Labor Is Necdcd-How
Trench Life Is Made Indurablc

Lacking and Supply Workers
Where Labor Is Necdcd-How
Trench Life Is Made Endurablc.
Correspondence of Associated Pressl
GENERAL FIELD HEADQUAR-
TIERS OF THE GERMAN ARMIES,
February 2o.-"War is business" and
the Germans with characteristics sys-
TEN and thoroughness are proceeding
10 the running OF their armies. but to
tho administration OF the occupied
parts of France and Belgium. In order
TO keep agricultural and manufactur-
ing enterprise alive, and to make the
occupied territory contribute TO the
support OF the armies.
business commissions have been or
gan!zed at various points. The duty
OF these is TO provide for the continu-
ance OF work in field and factory and
to gather up such supplies az may be
required for tho use of the armies or
may be available for shipment to Ger
many. Within week or two after tho
Germans had occupied Lioge. the great
arms factories there were turning out
ammunition and arms for the German
armies: coal mines In Southern Bel
GUM soon resumed operations for the
account of the German government,
and tho commissions have now opened
:: wide field of activity in the rich
industrial region of Northern France.
The problems for tho commissions In
Belgium and France were very dissimi-
lar In Belgium they were confronted
with supcrabundancc OF labor and
few raw materials; in Northern France
great masses of raw material have
been found. but the labor to work them
up IS lacking Much OF the Belgian
raw material In peace time, except
iron and coal. was imported from
abroad. The markets for the finished
products were also abroad. and cannot
be reached. owing to the war The
problem In Belgium Is. therefore. to
find work for the superabundant labor
supply.
In France. on the other hand. the
mobilization took practically every
able-bodled man into the army, and
there is a great scarcity OF native labor
In the regions occupied. Whatever
work Is undertaken there must be done
by women. children and the aged and
innrn. sometimes even by German SOL
'i'i - ppIIc VI tilt business commits
sions there arc even discussing plans
Germany.
OCCUPIED REGION
RICHEST IN FRANCE
Tho occupied region is the richest
part of France. While il contains 81
per cent OF the total area, it has one
sixth of the population and wealth
Embraced in 1t are SO per cent Of the
iron and 20 per cent of tho coal indus
tries OF France. and there are also
very large wooden and cotton indus
tries here. Large supplies of raw ma
terials for these and other Industries
were on hand, while there was no labor
to operate the factoric- These ma
terials were, therefore. largely taken
over by the Germans and sent to Ger
many. From Lille and Its vicinity, II
is said. about s125, 900 Of raw wool
and wooden yarn was thus confiscated
and shipped to Germany-an amount
equal to full years consumption of
all the German wooden mills. Rubber
In large amounts was found elsewhere
Coal mines around Lille are now oper-
ated by the Germans. to produce fuel
for the railways I'm tho occupied region.
A'io StiiP VI dilCo Is a leTtllo ana
highly cultivated agricultural region.
One Of the principal tasks Of the bust
ness commissions has been to provide
for threshinG the wheat crop. Thresh-
Ing machines were brought In from
Germany and worked till late into De-
cember without being able to thresh Il
ALL There are still great fields dotted
with huge stacks Of wheat, which Will
hardly be threshed before spring. Tho
military authorities have taken over
grain. meat. wool and other supplies
and paid for them in either cash or
with notes collcctable after the end OF
the war This is also their system in
taking over food products for imme-
date consumption by the army, like
meat. They did not need to bring any
meat from Germany itself. 1t Is said,
till toward the end of last year, hav-
Ing lived UP to that time upon the
herds OF France. The business COM
missions have established dairles at
various places, and supply the military
hospitals with milk from French cows
Colts are taken over and sent to Ger
many to be reared for use rs army
horses. Tho commissions imported
about s250.000 worth Of agricultural
machinery from Germany Steam and
other motor plows have been brought
In to prepare the fields for sowing
wheat to ward off the famine that tho
British navy is trying to bring upon