New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
Control of Coal, Lignite
and Oil Output Sought
by Capitalists
Austria Takes Hand
Teutons Eager to Become Inde-
pendent of Americas Pc
troleum Products
The NeW York Tribune
FOrotOs Press Bureou

TOTefDN fTeS3 bureau
Many interesting facts in regard to
the economic exploitation of Rumania
by the Central Powers are given in a
review Of the present economic stu
alton of Rumania by E. V. Letzgus.
Writing in LA Romanie," of Paris, he
points out the methods employed by
the Teuton empires in strengthening
their grip on Rumania so as to make
their occupation of the country per-
manent both in the political and eco
nomlc sense. In discussing the ques-
tlon how German capital is buying up
everything that may be of any value
to the "vaterland," the Rumanian
writer declares:
"A new foreign socety-one can
easily guess its nationality-is now
making efforts to obtain absolute CON
troll of all the coal mines in operation
and the coal fields that may be ex-
plotted, not only in the Rumanian terri
tory held by the powers of occupation
but also in the unoccupied parts of
Rumania Moldavia and Bessarabia.
Furthermore, the German official news
agency reports that the Berlin Dis
conto Gesellschaft, the Bleichroeder
Bank and the Banca Generala Romano.
which is nothing but Rumanian
branch of the former, have just bought
the oil wells Of Rumania, which pur-
chase will give them alone 80 per cent
OF the total oil production of Rumania.
Buying Lignitc Mines
"The exploitation of Rumanian oil
will be intensified so as to save Ger
man coal by the substitution of oil
and help the development of the Ger
man railways. Furthermore, the above
mentioned German banks also have
bought up many Ignite mines of Ru-
mania, thus obtaining control of more
than 80 per cent of the Rumanian
mines of Ignite.
After having taken over the Ru-
manian railways and ships the Ger
mans are now trying to seize all the
available combustibles of Rumania:
petroleum, wood, oil, Ignite The rich
soil of Rumania, in the hands of the
German exploiter, has indeed become
field for experiments which enables
our enemies to put into practice their
theories Of commercial exploitation of
given country But the notion of the
/ 'kolossaP is always haunting the Ger
man brain, and from the very begin
ming the Teuton invaders have not been
satisfied with the establishment of
branches in the various industries
of several industries, which can NUT
ually support each other, at the same
time obtaining better centralization
of production and the various means
Of exploitation and transformation Of
raw materials.
"At the present moment a new CO.
operative association is being formed
by the Ballin group, which represents
the Hamburg-American Line; the
SHINES group, which represents the
great German iron industries, and the
of oil industries. The organization
viii direct the exploitation Of Ruman-
ian petroleum. 1t will control the pro-
markets. This will enable Germany to to
obtain all the heavy oils she needs for
the running of her steamships. and
would make it possible for Germany to
disregard any prohibition of the ex-
port Of oil with which the American
government would want to strike Ger
many.
still, in the month Of December.
1917. a syndicate directed by the I'M
perial and Royal Austrian Bank, sent
commission to Rumania with the pur-
pose Of establishing an Austrian oil
society. But the plan seems to have
met strong opposition on the part Of
the. German military authorities of
occupation, for that was direct
menace to the creation of German
oil syndicate.
Austria Busy, Too
"Foiled in her plans by Germany
Austria directed her attention to navi-
cation in Rumania. In order to control
the Rumanian Black Sea traffic she
has formed new society, the 'Euxino'
which has a capital of $500 900 kronen
and will be able to transport 10000
tons Of merchandise.
"But the Germans also decided to
increase their river tonnage, and the
greatest German inland navigation So
ciety, the 'Bayerischer Lloyd increased
its tonnage by twenty vessels. At the
same time the Hamburg American Line
is also going to divert number of
ships to the exploitation Of Rumanian
oil industries"