The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1912-1921, 1918-10-01
TUESDAY, OCTOBER |, 1918.
woRkMEN TELL OF RUIN IN FRANCE


Worknen, engineers, and superintendent in
factories caught in the north of France when
the German army invaded the region have gra-
dually worked their way back to Paris as re-
patriation has been accomplished. They bring
the information that practically nothing re-
mains of the industrial establishments any,
where in the invaded districts Commercial At
tache Pierce C. Williams reports Mr.. Williams
says:
ut is difficult to give any adequate idea of
the extent of this damage. While thearea that
has been under German occupation for almost
four years is sn!1l, as compared with CORES
ponding regions in the United States, it should
be kept in mind that prior to August 1914, nor
tnern and eastern France, with Belgium, con-
stituted one OF the worlds busiest workshops.
In the invaded Departments of France alone
there were nearly $4,000 factories and indus
trial establishments. These factories repre-
sented more than 80 per cent of the industrial
output of all of France.
Before the war the Department now occu-
pied by the enemy furnished France with the
following proportion of the country's total pro-
duction of the articles named: Iron ore 90 per
cent; pig iron, 50 per cent; steel, IS per cent
coal, 70 per cent; con1bed wool, "a per cent
linen thread, 80 per cent; sugar, IS per cent.
Goal mines have been flooded and years will
elapse before coal viii be hoisted out of them
again. Electric power stations and their trans
.fnlssIon lines have IN many cases been thor
oughy dlsnlantled, the machinery carried off by
Germans and the copper wire sold at auction
Practically all the equipment in Woodworking
plants, all the cotton, linen, and wool spinning
machinery together with wool-combing plants
and textile looms, have been Systematically
plllaged. Repatrated workmen bring back word
that machines have been sklfully 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 dealers. Steel structures have been taken
down and the sheet-iron roofs and steel columns
and beams have either been sent back into Ger
many or used elsewhere in the war zone. Ma
chine 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 con-
tnued in operation certain plants that are ca
paole OF serving his purposes, there is every
likelihood that they will later be destroyed"
flgureS representing the cost of construction
before the war are given by Mr.. Williams These
include; Central electric stations and lines of
distribution, 250,000,00o francs machinery and
electrical manufacturing plants, 100000 900
francs; spinning Of condbed wool (24O0 Oe0
splndes), 192,oOo,0oo francs; spinning of cot
ton (2,8O0,0a0 spindles), 184,OOOO0O francs
small machine shops, 35O,000,o00 francs; coal
mines, 9Oo,00o,000 francs; iron mines, blast fur
naces, and steel works, 2,5OO,O00,0 coo francs.
These IN addition with other leading industries
aggregate more than 5OO0O0O,O0O francs. or
s1,0Q0,0O0000.
Many other fourishing plants with up-to-date
instruments have been destroyed Among these
are lce-making plants glass works, potteries,
establishments for dyeing and bleaching tex
tiles, flour mills, and chemical and fertihzing