New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-02
ReAexes Of War

The British Ministry Of Munitions
has prohibited the further installation
Of electric furnaces in Great Britain,
excep. under permit. Permission 70
proceed with q number of furnaces or
dered before the prohibition came into
force has also been withheld. The rea
sons given are scarcity Of labor, ma
terials, electrodes and electric current,
as well as the non-cssentiality Of such
plant for war purposes. Discussing the
new order, "The London Ironmonger"
says that "it is threatening to bring
TO a standstill, or nearly so, the cevel-
opment Of electric steel making, which
has lately made such astonishing prog
ress N this country, and thereby TO
injure seriously the future welfare of
the British steel industry. The leading
authorities are agreed that electric
steel is destined TO play part OF enor-
nous Importance, and country which
fails - prepare for the new conditions
must therefore be grieyously handi-
capped in competition with more far
seeing rivals. In Great Britain very
little had been done TO develop the
manufacture of electric steel PRIOR 10
the war. and Germany was easily mrs.
among the great industrial nations IN
the production of the material. Since
1914 the United States had gone ahead
at such a race that she had already
surpassed he German output, and many
furnaces are still being bulIt IN
America. Britain took up the industry
eighteen months ago with most prom
ising vigor, and until our government
applied the brake there seemed every
probability that we would in due course
catch up with our rivals
The Norwegian steamer Obi. which
sailed recently from Staten Island FOR
Yenesei River ports, is the first steam
er TO load at United States port for
Northern Siberian ports. It carried a
full cargo of assorted American goods,
tho bulk Of which were packed in cases
weighing not more than 900 pounds,
in order 70 expedite handling from
steamer TO the up-river barges that
viii eventually deliver the cargo at
Xr,snoiarsk. from whence the goods
will be sent by rail to points on the
Trqnssiberian Railroad. The principal
advantages of shipping goods to 81
beria. under present conditions. by
the route. are the avoidance OF the
deiovs and uncertainties which are at
present involved IN the shlpmens OF
nrivate merchandise by the Nladivostok
route, and the exemption from duty
on certain goods imported INTO 81
IBERIA by way of the lenesei RIVER.
TIE articles thus admitted duty-tree
are fertilizers, beech slaves, carboHc
acid. iron and steel in various forms
LEAD. boilers and pipes, iron and steel
wire. scythes, sjckles and other farm
tools. tools for industrial purposes and
various machines and spare parts, IN
GLIDING agricultural machinery. The
exemption will be in effect until the
conclusion of the war.
: The completeness with which French
iuclstrv has adjusted itself TO war
conditions is brought out in an inter-
ee.lng study entitled "L'Efort Eco
nonioue de la France" recently pub
lisred By the bureau d'Etudes de
Information Diplomatique," Paris. At
the outbreak of war in August, 1914
great decentralization of industry
took place, as is shown b. the fact
th,t the number OF establishments in
operation dropped 30 per cent and the
number Of workmen employed (in es.
B taLHshments for which statistics arc
av.ilablel decreased from ! ,637 1866 e
534.3s7. Part of this decrease was due
10 The mobilization of the army, which
/ withdrew an average Of q per cent
| of the labor force. Among those
which suffered the most were the
teytile, woodworking, building anC
metal industries. Since then there ha.
| been a steady recovery, both in nun
ber of establishments in operation anC
Of workers employed, in pract ally
every branch of industry. Naturally
/ those industries directly contributing
TO the conduct OF the war, the iror
and steel. chemical and food producing
! industries, have exhibited the greates'
! increase. The textile, leather anC
paper-making industries, however, kav,
veiy nearly reached their pre-wsl