Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-09-21
METZ ECE|N|T|[E|'IR|
OF IRON FIELD
More than Two thirds Of
Iron Ore Of France and
Germany Mined There.

Offensive operations toward Metz
strike at one of the most important
German bases in the west. The city
and the t~wenty-eight encircling forts
comprise what has been regarded as
one OF the most formidable fortresses
in the world. Metz also is the center
of important iron fields, which before
the war supplied France and Germany
with more than two-thirds of the ore
used by their iron manufactures.
Metz is on the Moselle 10h miles
east of the French border. The city
lays astride the Moselle river as well
as. on both sides of the Seille. Part
Of the city is on islands in the Moselle.
To h east. north and northwest are
the iron and coal fields of French and
German Lorraine. Deprived of these
fields Germany could not conduct the
war another three months. it is as
serted.
The chief iron field of the Rhine
district is that of Lorraine, including
the Basin de Briey, (the center of
which is the little village of Briey),
the greatest iron producing region in
the world. 1t is located mainly in AL
sace-Lorraine and overlaps Belgium
and Gutenberg. 1t extends along the
Franco-German frontier for thirty
five miles, almost up to Pont-a-Mous-
son
tGermany's possession Of the major
portion of this productive area follow
ed the signing Of the Treaty Of Frank
fort in 1871. Previous to the present
mines on her side of the frontier 21,-
100000 tons Of her total annual pro-
duction of 2s,000,00 o while France
got $4,000, 900 out Of a total produc-
ton Of $40 900.
Since her occupation in 1914 of the
mines on the French side of the from
tier Germany has added to her min
eral wealth the $1,000. 600 tons annu-
ally obtained by h French, bringing
alone up to 100000 tons a yea
The only practical road to this i'm
portant region. military. authorities
agree, is h valley Of the Moselle. At
the head Of the valley n barring
the way lies Metz, ranking with
Strassburg as one of the two great
bulwarks of the German southwestern
frontier. Metz is a city Of 60, 900 popu-
lation, its chief industries being the
manufacturing of weapons, clothes,
shoes and hats.
As fortress Metz has been i'm
portant since the Roman era Since
that time it has never succumbed to
frontal attack. Its present system of
Notifications includes 2S detached
forts which encircle the city proper.
The outer chain Of d%efenses, built
within the last two decades, and I'M
doubtedly perfected since the out
break of the present war, extend to
Thionville on the north, and Crave
lotte on the west.
West and southwest of Metz the
course of the Moselle is lined with
high, wooded hills. The German fort
ress also is protected by heights and
wood northward. On the south. how
ever. he terrain is more open with
few hills and little wood.
From the American lines southwest
Of Metz the nearest forts are Forts
Haeseler n de Sonny on the right
bank of h Moselle and Fort Kron-
prinz on the left bank. Fort de Sonny
Is less than five miles from the
French town Of Arnaville, on the
Franco-German border. The forts sur
rounding Metz were similar to those
at Liege. which were notable for their
disappearing turrets. German guns,
however, overcame these forts.
Metz also is an important point on
the railway line supplying the Ger
mar line eastward from Laon.
The fall of Metz not only would
probably seal the fate of the iron and
a fields, but through the severance
Of railway lines, imperil the German
line west to Laon and thence north
ward to the Belgian coast. Al reports
OF a possible German retirement in
the west have indicated that Metz
would form one of the bastions of the
Germans.