Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-04-20
GERMANS STILL vlcToRs.

ais W C1s .N o.
-----=
GERMANS STILL vlcToRs.
Looking ait the war from strictly
non partisan standpoint, it must be
conceded that Germany to date has
the best Of the bargain. Her troops
occupy five per cent Of the French
territory and practically all of Bel
GUM is under German rule.
No nation in the world was as well
prepared for war as Germany and up
on the sea, where it was believed 'she
could not excel, the defenders of the
Fatherland have given an excellent
account of themselves.
The Germans now hold 10000
square miles of French territory, but
this represents nearly one-half of in
dustrial France and one-tenth of her
population is embraced in this section
The narrow strip commanded by the
trenches of the Kaiser's troops pro.
duces 70 per cent of all the coal min
ed in France and 80 per cent Of all
of the native mined iron, and nearly
half Of the ,republic's5 manufactured
articles are produceds in this narrow
zone. E8 $k $
1t is probably not generally XXI wn
that with the French and Belgian
iron and coal fields now In her pos.
session, Germany would have almost
monopoly of the iron and steel in.
dustry of Europe. Nj NJ
Should the war end now with Ger.
many holding only the territory now
under the control Other arms, sh
would be the winner q consid cradle
commercial prestige.
The Nord department, all Of which
but a few square miles is held by the
Germans, is the first department in
agricultural and industrial Importance
in France. The National Geographic
Society in a recent bulletin describes
the value of the French soil occupied
by Germans in this fashion:
- j. r. j. r
I'm this department. and the depart.
ments of the Pas.de. Calais, Meuse and
Meurthe.et. Moselle are the great met.
al working plants of the French, the
huge Pittsburg and Cleveland mills,
foundries, and machine works, of that
country. In these departments, fur.
Their, is a great part of the lands tex.
tile industry, the cotton, wooden and
linen weaving, the working of lace
and embroidery, the weaving of car
pets, and dyeing. Flour mills, brick
kilns, distilleries, glass works, pot.
terry works, shoe and hat factories, to.
bacco factories, and large plants for
the production Of hardware, enamel.
Ell ware and edge tools are strewn
Through this thickly populated section
in pr0fusi0n. In the shops situated
within these departments most of the
French cabinet work is done, and,
here, near by the beet 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 production than has been reached
by the fields of these northern French
departments. Everywhere through.
out this region, where there are no
mines and factories, smiling gardens
and fertile, we'll cultivated farms take
their place. All Of the cereals, sugar
beets, fruits, hops, tobacco, fax and
large droves OF cattle are grown up.
on them. Some of the best known
diaries Of France are in this terri
tory.
4 'The stretch of bare 10000 square
miles, with its population of 1000 900
its bounteous agriculture, it's rich coal
and iron mines, and its teeming manu-
facture, is one of the most important
districts in all Europe. Some idea Of
its richness can be had from the fac
that while the average per acre value
for all France is about $3.50, that O
these northern departments is $685.