New-York tribune., 1918-05-05
Prussian Urges
Ore Conservation
For ''Next War"
Heidelberg Professor At
tacks Frances 'Treachery'
to German Interests
The Now York Tribune
Foreign Press Bureau
BY Eber1ard Gothein

~ SooO' Wv IL OGtCtOCf9 - NtCCf Stt "
In the first imstolmomt of series
of articles Professor Gothein, the
brother of the Progressive Reichstag
Deputy, Georg Gothcin, and himself
q Radical, declares that Germany,
through her rich iron ore and coal
deposits, avill control the economic
development Of Europe for the nest
hundred gears, and pleads by innu-
e1ldo that the French iron ore district
of Lomgaoy and Briey be anmened to
secure the Fotherland's economic
pyeponderamce for all time. In this
article, avhich appeared in the Berlin
"Vossische Zeitung," P,ivy Counsel
Tor Gothein describes Frances al
legged chicane,y and treachery to
legitimate German interests to pave
the avay for his arguments IN favor
of onnenatiom of French territory.
The iron industry would be hard
pressed if it was forever dependent on
iron ore-th&t means, if iron, when
used, was consumed like coal in the
lighted furnace. But the phrase "to
have been thrown on the scrap iron
heap" does not mean to be absolutely
useless. Scrap iron and iron waste are
the material most welcome to the iron
industry. The SiemandM Martin process,
producing the best grades of steel. is
chiefly based on scrap iron. Every big
iron works regards it's Martin furnace
it's savings bank. In still very dis
tant future, when humanity will be
forced to ri igidly economic regarding
the raw materials nearing exhaustion,
the process of regeneration of scrap iron
will perhaps be the main thing, though
it is side show during our period of
rapid development. 1t has been esti
mated that iron waste and cast iron in
Germany amount to 100000 tons a
year, one-third of our whole supply.
During this war, when the best grades
of steel are most urgently needed
for granates made of gray cast steel
will not do-the shortage Of cast iron
manifests itself most clearly. We we're
forced to tear down the manufacturing
plants. especially the blast furnaces, in
the occupied French territory, to OBJ
tJlu CaSL ItOI. IIC L ICiCU Will IlO u
find any industry in that district after
the restoration of peace.
German Ore Reserves Low
Under such circumstances there
arises the question:: "How long will
our iron ore deposits last?" That is
the most important problem of our ma
tional economic life; it is even a vital
problem to the great private enter
prises. For the capital invested in
iron works, under the present circum-
stances, continues to be active long
after the exhaustion of the iron ore
deposits belonging to the same works.
According to the most eminent experts,
schlag, Germany's iron ore deposits
will be sufficient for only forty or fifty
years, provided the iron production
does neither increase nor decrease. The
length of the period differs as TO the
various iron ore districts. Our most
important Minette district, in Lorraine,
will be exhausted after forty-tive years.
Therefore, the importation of foreign
iron ore is not only advantageous at
the present, but also a measure of pre-
caution regarding the future. 1t
amounted in 1913 to IT million tons,
worth 227.1 million marks, while the
UOulS pLOOUCClOIL was 40 lnlAliOA WIS,
worth 1867 million marks. The iron
contained in the imported ore was
about half of the supply to our blast
furnaces. The foreign ore must be OF
a high grade because of the high cost
Of transportation. Every ton of i'm
ported iron ore means a saving to our
domestic deposits.
The "Next War"
After the war we necessarily must
economize regarding our domestic iron
ore deposits, fact which will exert
the deciding influence on our policy
relating to raw materials. During the
war we were severely hampered by the
lack of manganese ore, which we for
merly used to import from India and
sighted. The English were angry that
the Germans had practically obtained
monopoly Of the expectation of man
ganese iron ore from India, and had
aimed at the future destruction of that
monopoly. Manganese iron ore Worth
28,000,000 marks was ready in Cau-
casia for shipment to Germany before
the war. How much of it will we find
when we come there?
We will be obliged to nationalize our
small manganese iron ore mines and
leave them unW0rked, the loss OF In
terest Notwithstanding, to have a re-
serve stock at the next war, no matter
how far off. The production even of
our great manganese iron ore mines
must, perhaps, be restricted. No reck-
less competition, no dumping on the
home market must be permitted. And
such dumping as is we'll known, can
not be prevented by the mere organi-
cation of kartell. To the contrary,
such kartell, which fixes the prices,
may prove to be an inducement to in
creased production.
Remember the potash syndicate!
Keep IN mind also the Reichseisenver-
band (cast iron trust), which, after
many unsuccessful attempts at estab-
fishing kartell. controls and excel
lently directs all of the production of
German iron ore. The cast iron trust
will prove whether kartells are able to
bring about a permanent and sys-
tematic regulation of some branches of
the nations industry, and to assume,
with the states necessary assistance, a
public function.
Licensing Blast Furnaces
That would mean, as far as the iron
industry is concerned, that the num-
Der of blast furnaces in the iron dis
tricts will be restricted, that every
furnace must obtain license, and that
the exploitation of certain nearby de-
posits and the amount of production
must be allotted to each of these iron
works. Such steadiness wou1d in