Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1915-03-11
GERMANS MANAGING FRENCH
WORKSHOPS

Berlin, March Tile industrial
stagnation in France, now matter
of vital import to the republic, is
due not only to the absorption Of
workers by the army, but still more
to the fact that the great industrial
and mining districts Of the country
are now in the hands of the Ger
mans. At the Dusseldorf session Of
the union of German iron workers
the syndic, or special agent, Dr..
Schroeder. who has lately Travelled
in the French and Belgian areas
which are now held by Germany, dis
cussed the depression of French in
dustries, says the Taegliche Rund-
schau. Or. Schroeder's report was
as follows
Within the area occupied by the
German army are parts of ten French
departments, with 3,250.000 inhabi-
tants and approximately 100000
square acres. Taking the French
| official statistics as q basis, these dis
tricts have no less than 68.8 per cent
of the output Of coal, 1873 per cent
of the production of coke, 90 per
cent Of raw iron. 76 per cent OF
steel. 953 per cent of Thomas raw
steel, " 1913 per cent Oh cart steel and
100 per cent tubes. If economic
strategical principles determined the
construction of the rifle pits the Ger
mans could have seized by advancing
few kilometers the whole French
coal area. Even If it were possible
in some French districts to maintain
the output of coal it would hardly
amount to 35 per cent Of the regular
output.
France Has No Coal.
Hence France largely depends on
other countries to cover her demands
of coal The English coal, her prin-
ciple resource, has already increased
in price "a francs per ton.
The output of ore is i'm an even
worse condition. Through the Ger
man occupation France has lost so
per cent or, if we consider the total
amount of metal contained in other
French ores, 85 per cent of its regu-
lar output of ore. Large parts OF
the mines in the occupied territory.
abandoned at the outbreak of the
war, are now in German control.
The Germans have succeeded in saw
ing them from submersion and in
putting them in action again, with
the exception of the mines of Amer
mont, Pierremont and Muryillc,
which were damaged by the water.
or the 127 blast furnaces no less
than ninety-fve lie in the war zone.
1t is doubtful if those furnaces situ-
ated back of the trenches have been
kept in running order because Of the
lack of ore, so that only some thirty
furnaces remain working unhin-
dered. Among them are several
with a limited capacity. At least 80
per cent of all the blast furnaces Of
France are out of commission by the
war
Steel Works Closed.
German troops have seized about
10 per cent of the raw steel works.
In the months of December and
January Dr. Schroeder inspected q
number Of the French smelling
works. With very few exceptions
they all presented picture OF abb
solute inactivity although they had
scarcely suffered from shell fire or
other effects of the war. Even the
large works in Longwy, Mont St.
Martin and Rehon had remained all
most untouched, although situated
directly under the fortifcation. In
French Lorraine most of the damage
had been repaired
The workshops had evidently been
left very suddenly at the mobiliza-
tion, and since every one in France
capable of carrying a gun was re-
cruited the works had to be closed
because of lack of workers. The
supplies that have since been re-
ceived by the idle works are very
large.
In recent years the French iron
industry had taken possession or
large new districts on the eastern
frontier for the more extensive utili-
zation Of the Thomas method, among
them the works in Hautmont, Lens,
some Of which were finished shortly
before the outbreak OF the war and
others still unfinished.
The war had very disastrous effects
on numerous other factories aban-
doned by the laborers The horse
shoe factories in Valenciennes con
tanned a large stock OF supplies,
which we're, of course, used for the
! German army.
Textile Plants Idle.
DR.. Schroeder passed through
Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing, the
textile industry districts largely oc-
cupied by the Germans. The entire
region is strewn with large and
small mills, all equipped Win gOou
machines. In the entire region pre-
walls the spirit OF an energetic pro
gressige nation, as the Frenchmen
Of northern France undoubtedly are,
In the neighborhood Of Sedan and
Charleville the German army estab-
llshed no less than fourteen indus
tries. All sorts of military appara-
tus were manufactured, even stove
lpipes and movable field kitchens
The restored electric power station
supplied light and power The
trenches are in part provided with
electric lighting.
Great Industries Held.
It must be remembered that not
only coal and iron are produced IN
the occupied territory, but the textile
industry. the glass industry and The
sugar industry lie in this district
In discussing the influence of the wal
IN the Industrial life in France Dr.