Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-09-13
ALI AMERICAN
 MANUFACTURERS !" CHANCE METHOD
Plan For Cooperative Sell ing War Materials With i. French Agencies.
SCATTERED AMERICAN EFFORTS ARE FUTILE
With Successful Close of War American Products
 Will Be in Demand.


 <
 :sWashington. Sept. 12.-American manufacturers who plan to supply materials for the industrial recon struction of northern France should prepare for cooperative selling, for q Revolutionary change in French buying is to follow the war
 A small number of central pur- chasing agencies, representing groups of French manufacturers engaged in related industries and assisted by the credit of the French government will deal with those supplying the material
 Scattered American selling efforts will not be able to meet the require ments of the huge buying power of several thousand French consumers, in the opinion of Pierce c. Williams, American commercial :attache at Pa ris, who reports that unless Ameri- can manufacturers prepare for CO., operative selling that they will be la- boring under serious handicap.
 French Have System.
 The Central Bureau for Industrial Purchases for the Invaded Regions, French stock company composed of many manufacturers, has emphasized in report that the task of restor- ing the destroyed industries is too large for individual and competitive buying. It's directors are reported as equally certain that 1t will be out of the question for isolated Amer!- can firms, no matter how large or we'll equipped, to meet the demand It is with groups of American manu- \ facturers-each group being able to supply a certain industry with all materials and special equipment for its resoration-that the Central Bu- reau wishes to establish relations.
 Although the French manufactur- CTS in the past has been regarded as most individualistic among business men, the size and complexity of the task Of reconstruction has caused him to accept such a radical change in his business methods as collec- tive buying. The industrial recon StructiOn in France alone is more than one nation can properly attend to, 90 the pooling of American in terests involves solution of the ques- tiQn of whether American manufac- turers will be able to hold their own in competition with other nations.
 German Aora Was Small.
 Although the area occupied by the Hermans in Finance the last Hbur years Is small as compared with cor responding regions in the United States, northern and eastern France with Belgium were in 1914 one of the busiest workshops in the world. Nearly 5000 factories and industrial establishments were in the invaded Hafts of France. and their output was more than thirty percent of all Of < France. These factories output in proportion to the countrys' total pro- huCtiDh follows: s. !, ]; ~
 Iron ore, 90 percent; pig iron, S3 percent: combed wool, 94 percent; i; linen thread. 90 percent; sugar, 65 percent. .
 Owners of the factories of course have hAen. shut off from normal com munication with their properties. but w0rkmen, engineers and others caught in north of France, when the German army rolled through there have gradually worked their way to Paris as their repatriation has been accomplished by the Allied arms. In many localities and in, almost count less' industries, nothing remains.
 Coal Mines Out of Business.
 Coal mines have been flooded, and years will pass before coal will be hoisted from them again. Electric power stations and the transmission lines have in many places been dis mAntlAd the machinery being carried off by the Germans. and the copper wtres sold at auction. Practically, all Of thes equipment in. the metal-work- iiigy plants, all the cotton. linen and wool spinning machinery, together with wool-combing and textile looms. ,have, been systematically pillaged.
 Repatri4ted workers report that ma chimes have been skillfully9 taken apart and, all the copper and alloys In the bearings sent into Germany for renhelting. In many instances. after this was done. the iron frames were broken up and turned over to Herman scrap-iron dealers.
 Steel structures have been taken down, and the sheet-iron roofs and steel columns and beams have either been. sent Into Germany or used in the war> zone. Sugar 'refineries and breweries are reported to have been completely destroyed, Machine shops finished just before the .begin- HULK Ol Iuc wal AdN0 OOCA kaZCOs and if, in the rear of the battle line the enemy has continued in opera tiOn certain plants that would serve his purpose. 1t is believed that these will be destroyed before retreating
 Cost of Replacing Industries.
 The cost of replacing these indus tries today is estimated to be about three times the original cost. which would amount to millions. The cost. before the war. of industries known to.lhavei suffered worst isS semi..of- ficially reported as follows:
 Spinning and combed
 wool, 2,400. 900 spin
 dies r--.-...... 1s2.ooo.ooo' Francs Spinning of cotton.
 z. 1900 ;000. .000
 Gpinning of flax.
 O0.O80 spindles.. 100.000,00 Francs Wool weaving. 56.000