Evening star., 1916-12-10
BY CHARLES M. PEPPER.

TRANCE's industrial lifeblood
In lows more freely since her mas
terry over Verdun has been es-
4 tablished.
The half million German lives lost
would not have been counted dear by
Germany il Verdun could have been
taken. But this was not merely because
it would have opened the way for an
other advance on Paris The military
strategists who discuss the verdun
failure solely from that standpoint are
as dull-witted as they were in the first
stages of the war. when they saw moth
ing in the military occupation of Bel
gium beyond the ordinary territorial
advantages. They had no comprehension
of what ii meant for Germany to
possess the coal and iron resources of
Belgium. And though occasionally a
glimmer of this economic significance
of the war penetrates their understand
ing they still fail to grasp the full
significance notwithstanding that they
were quick to realize what the trench
warfare meant after the strongest forts
Of Antwerp and Namur had been bat
tered by the big German and Austrian
guns.
Nerdun also had what was supposed
to be impregnable fortifications, but
long before the German crown princes
assault Gen. Joffre had ceased to de-
pend on them and had developed the
system of trenches which baffied the
German general staff.
The French military commanders. as
well as the Paris officials. from the be-
ginning comprehended that the Ferdun
sector was more than military line
which must be held in order to keep
back hostile army from another ad-
vance on Paris They knew that its
possession was vital to France il she
were TO keep within her control what
remained of the raw material for her
munitions manufactories
When the Verduu drive began last
February Germany. according to the
Berlin statisticians, was in possession
of more thar onehalf of the iron and
metal industry of all France. She had
nearly so per cent of the iron ore and
30 per cent Of the coal Had she been
able to take Eerdun she soon would
have been In possession of the remain
der OF these resources. But after many
months she has failed in the great Of
fensive. and the counter Anglo-French
offensive on the Somme has enabled
France TO regain control of a fraction
of the lost industrial territory. Wheth-
er in the Nerdun section she will be
able TO press Germany farther back
and actually regain more of the ore
ISiVo Is one OIL tne euiRIi!6 OF tne VIII
ter campaign. but at least she remains
firm in her possession of what was left
her after the first German onrush.
Newspaper readers. in following the
Nerdun campaign and the British coun-
ter offensive In Picardy. have seen oc-
casional references to the mineral de-
posits of the Meurthe- Moselle district.
and also have noted the Importance
which seemed to be given to Longwey.
Nancy and Brey. They have read some
picturesque descriptions of Nancy bat
tered by the German shells and of the
tranquil life of the inhabitants who re-
mained there in the intervals between
the German artillery fire. but that is
about all they have known. They have
not traced the course Of the river
Moselle through Luxemburg until 1t
empties into the Rhine. To most of
them II the Moselle meant anything it
recalled certain kinds OF wine.
The simple Industrial fact is that be-
tween rs and So per cent of the total
ore tonnage Of France is in the Long
wey, Nancy and Brey districts, the
chief source of production being the
Frey basin. Moreover. this is high
grade ore, and discoveries made just
before the great war broke out indi-
Gated that the fields were much more
extensive than had been supposed.
Germany's principal sources OF ore
supply were the w-grade fields Of
TALLY two-thirds of the native ore used
In her iron and steel industries came
from Lorraine. Luxembourg. as a MEM
Der OF the German customs union. was
also source of native production in
the Industrial sense. although politi-
caliy independent.
German steelmakers. under whose
guiding hands the iron and steel indus