El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-29
GERMANS TAKE
FRANCE : GREAT
textile MILLS
Loss to French Manufacture
ers Is Not Less than
$3OO,OOO,OOO.
GOODS, MACHINERY
SENT TO GERMANY

DARIS. FRANCE, May 29--Three
- hundred million dollars lost by
i the textile industries of northern
France in raw materials and manufac-
tured products taken by the Germans
as booty Of war-that is the estimate
given the Associated Press by an au-
thorized member Of the most influential
textile corporation in France and an
authority on industrial subjects
What the total loss, including dam
ages to plant and to buildings, may
amount 10. there are no Indications, for
many rumors of the transferring Of
valuable machines to Germany have not
been confirmed The above estimate is
based on confirmed facts only. II more
than bears out the estimate Of the Ger
man publicist, Ludwig Ganghofur. who
after a visit to the German front, told
the Muenchner Neueste Nachrichten
that the war booty sent from northern
France to Germany IN the form OF
cereals, sugar. metals wool, leather
etc amounted TO five hundred million
dollars during the first six months OF
the war. It is supposed that MS tisures
were based on the requisluOn price said
to be very inferior to the market val Tues
On the latter basis the actual total would
be far in excess Of the German figures
the estimate for the textile industries
alone would so Indicate
Take Practically Everything.
It is known that the Germans took
nearly all the raw material and finished
goods in the great wooden manufactur-
ing centers OF LeCOteau. ROubalX and
TOurcoing, where America BUYS heaNlly
of the finer wooden fabrics They also
emptied the linen factories with the
exception Of those at Armenueres,
where they were driven back too soon,
and at Lille, where they have recently
begun TO reQuisItiOn these products
The territory occupied by the Ger
mans contains more than so percent Of
the wooden and linen industries OF
France; the consequence is a shortage
of all these products The army is seek
ing hundreds Of thousands Of yards Of
canvas for tents that these Industries
are unable to supply Cotton, tried as a
substitute, proved unsatisfactory
Grave Problem for France
THE financial problem resulting from
this state Of things" according to this
authority. will require most serious
study after the war. A commercial and
industrial activity such as we have
never seen will be witnessed in France,
but the setting in motion again the in
dustrial machine viii be attended with
great difficulties.
One manufacturer in the occupied
territory has lost raw material and fin
ished goods to the value Of five million
to ten million francs. The banks had
advanced him a half million francs
The se,Srity for that advance is gone.
That - Will say after the war: Il
am not played out. j want TO put my
industry on its feet again, but where
viii he find the means since he has al
ready hanging over him debt OF halt a
million francs and the goods that
secured it are in Germany 1t is a
serious problem. but il will be solved.
Must Restore Many Plants.
another great difficulty is in the
restoration Of our plants. the replacing
Of our machines Under existing con-
ditions il seems likely that it viii take
two years for machine constructors 20
TO furnish what We shall require
Perhaps we shall have TO call upon the
American ingenuity to help US in work
ing out the difficult problem, but they
will be solved for never was the spirit
Of our manufacturers and workers so
strong as today"