Evening star., 1915-03-07
THE FAMOUS CHURCH OF
BY CHARLES M, PEPPER.

E1HE Bismarck statue at Cologne
surveys territory that Germany
took as the spoils of the Fran
q co-PruSsian war. It has been
the claim of some historians and of
some of Bismarck's biogra piers that
he looked on the absorption of Alsace-
Lorraine mistake. but was forced
into it by Won Moltke.
Others have maintained that Bis
marck was thinking of the iron ore
mines Of the Lorraine district, and that
even then he had matured his plans
of Industrial development for Germany,
and, knowing that those industries
must have food in the shape of ore,
he wanted as much as possible of the
ore to be in German territory.
Whatever Bismarcks s real sentiments
were, Germany now has the ore mines.
In the avalanche of controversy grow
Ing out of the present war she has
been charged with covetinS the rich
deposits of the Meurthe- -Mosellc dis
trict, which arc more valuable than
those of Lorraine.
The controversial aspect of the aues-
ton may be dismissed The outstand-
Ing fact is that in order to continue
hostilities Germany must have food
her basic iron and steel industries The
krupp works at Essen must be rolIr-
lshed. The German shipyards at Stet-
Tin and elsewhere must be given ma
terial to construct new WarshipS, Just
as the British shipyards arc doing.
The primary question relates to Ger
many's ability TO keep on producing
pig iron The raw materials of pig
Iron are coal and ore.
Coal exists in abundance The Rhen-
tsh Wcstphalian district in the west
and Silesia in the east in normal times
have been able to supply the bulk of
Of the coal required for domestic pur-
poses and for the industries There
have been importations of coal and
coke from Great Britain, but not in
large quantities. The cessation of these
imports has little adverse influence on
German Industries
Iron ore is still had from the Lor-
raine mines. This source of supply al
ways has been supplemented by Lux
embourg, and Luxembourg is practical
y at present German territory. 1t
has been reported that the Luxembourg
mines have not ceased operations dur
Ing the hostilities.
Belgium's coalields are still under
German control. Liege and the Namur
district may not be producing as in
former years, yet in the emergency
Germany can be depended TO utilize
these mines
Swedish ore can still be imported
down the Rhine by way of Rotterdam.
The German iron industries have used
varying quantities of it. but have never
been entirely dependent on it.
Spanish ores are no longer available
since England controls the seas. These
have been important to the German
iron and steel industries. and the krupp
works have had their own mines at
Balboa. While the Spanish ores were
useful they were not vital either to the
krupp works or to the other iron and
steel industries.
During recent years the uportatious
from Batbao have been decreasing, and
the most that is likely TO result from
entirely shutting off this source of sup
ply is some Inconvenience.
Viewed whole. therefore, the
German IRON and steel Industry and
especially the branches which are es-
sential in making ordnance aud in
building warships. are not in danger of
starvation. The supplies of coal and
ore are sufficient to satisfy their war
appetite.
Copper, which enters largely into war
munitions. presents more difficult
proposition to Germany. No one knows
how much copper the empire had stored