The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-27
NORkMEN TELL Of
RUIN IN FRANCE
yinces Describe Work OF Germans
During Period of Oocupa ton.

Workmen, engineers, and superin-
tendents in factories caught IN the
north OF France when the German
ally worked their way back 10 Paris
as repatriation has been accomplish
ed. They bring the information that
practically nothing remains of the
Industrial establishments anyw here in
the invaded districts, Commercial At
tache Pierce c. Williams reports.
MIR. Williams says:
TT Is difficult to give any adequate
idea of the extent OF this damage.
While the area that has been under
German occupation for almost four
years is small, as compared with cor
responding regions in the United
States, 1t should be kept in mind that
prior to August, 1914, Northern and
Eastern France. with Belgium, con-
stituted one OF the worlds busiest
workshops. In the invaded depart
mentS OF France alone there were
nearly $4,000 factories and industrial
establishments. These factories rep
resented more than 30 per cent of tho
industrial output Of all OF France,
Before the war the department
now occupied by the enemy furnished
France with the following proportion
of the country's total production of
tho articles named: Iron ore, 90. per
cent. pig iron, SO per cent: steel. rs
per cent; coal, 10 per cent: combed
wool - per cent: linen thread. so
per cent; sugar. IS per cent.
Coal mines have been flooded and
years will elapse before coal will be
hoisted out OF them again. Electric
power stations and their transm iSsion
lines have In many cases been thor
oughly dismantled. the machinery
carried off by Germans and the copper
wire sold al auction. Practically all
the equipment in Woodworking
plants, all the cotton. linen. and wool
spinning machinery. together with
woo-com bling plants and textile
looms. have been systematically pill
LACED. FSpatriated workmen bring
back word that machines have been
skil,fully taken apart and all the
copper and alloys in the bearings sent
into Germany for remelting. In many
cases. after this was done, the iron
frame was broken up and turned over
to German scrap-iron dalers Steel
structures have been taken down and
the sheet-iron roofs and steel columns
and beams have either been sent back
into Germany or used elsewhere in
the war zone. Machine shops finished
just before the war broke out have
been RACED to the ground. and. If in
the rear of the battle line, the enemy
has continued in operation certain
plants that are capable OF serving his
purposes. there Is every likelihood
that they will later BE destroyed"
Figures representing the cost OF
construction before the war are given
by Mr.. williams. These include: Cen
trail electric stations and lines OF dis
tribution. 250,o00,000 francs; ma
chinery and electrical manufacturing
plants 500.000,000 francs: spinning
OF combed wool (2,400.000 spindles),
1872 900. 900 francs; spinning OF cotton
(2.S00.00O spin es). s4,000, 900
francs; small machine shops. $50
100000 francs: coal mines. 800. 1000.
900 francs: iron mines. blast furnaces
and steel works, 100000, 900 francs.
These, in addition with other leading
industries. aggregate more than s.
00o. 0O0, 0o0 francs. or 81 900, 900, 900.