The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1915-06-17
is BEST OF FRANCE
Section Held by Germans Is Of
Vast Importance.
Nearly one-HaIf Of Industrial France
and tho Homes Of One.Tenth Of
the Population Behind
German Lines.

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. 1t says:
Holding only about 10000 square
miles of French territory, or less than
o~ne-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 diaries
and farms, which are the pride, the
"OoAlA duO tu0 6IAOu6lA VI A1OuO4A
France. In this narrow strip under
German occupation, there is produced
70 per cent Of all coal mined in France,
80 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
$4,000 600 tons of pig iron and of $780,.
900 tons Of steel. This industry was
centered and contained in northern
France, for here were the raw mate.
rails. The Flemish coal basin, extend
ing into the Nord and Pas-de-Calais
where 100000 miners were employed,
produced 60 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 81 per cent of the total
French output Of iron, and this re.
gion was reckoned as n 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-
oily 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 "a, 500, 900 tons of steel,
Germany 100000, Great Britain g.
O40,0OO, France 1902, 900 and Belgium
10000 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 a
few square miles Of whose coast lands
Is in the possession of the enemy, is
in agricultural and industrial impor-
lance the first department of France,
In this department, and the depart
ment of the Pas-de-Calais, Meuse 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, ia
q great part of the lands textile in
dustry, the cotton, wooden and linen
weaving, the working of lace and en-
b%roidery, 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
in %profusion. In the shops situated
French cabinet work is done, and
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 theil
farms up to a higher standard of pro
duction than has been reached by the
fields of these northern French de
partments. Everywhere Throughout
this region, where there are no mines
and factories, smiling gardens and fer
tile, well-cultivated farms take theil
place. All of the cereals, sugar beets