The evening herald., 1918-01-30

az" menllurgists generally regarded
phoSr horic ores, which formed the
greater part Of the Lorraine strata. as
WORTHLESS and unworkable. The Ger
mans seized everything that In the
then state uf science was known tu be
profitobic and reliuquished the rest 10
the French But less than five years
lator the mining industry was rcyOlu-
tionizcd by the discovery OF process
Tor dcphusphurizipp ores instantly the
value OF the fcrruginouS districts an.
neXcd by the Gcrmans wac Indefinitely
multiplied hut at the same time the
portions ot the basin they had con-
tcmptuously allowed to remain In the
possession of the French were redeem
ed at o. stroke from comparative
wurihlcssueSs To- rich productivity
The general outline Of the issue
/ that the war Is shaping and viii a.
i tormne thus becomes clear suppose
Germany were to win and were 10 an
mex ,he greater haiti of the fcrrugiuuu ,
basin that lies on French soil TER d.
torily it would be very small ac-
qusition Econom scally It's value
would De inestimable II would mean
that after the war Germany would be
able tn raise some 10 900. OOG tons of
iron ore a year, while the French cut
put would loo reduced 10 bare 5000
00u tons suppose. on the other hand,
as we an intend It shall be- and thot
tlsace- Lorraine is restored tu France.
The situation In that ease would bc
almost precisely reversed France
would be in position to extract about
t3,Oo0. 900 tons of ore year and Ger
many would have 20 remain satisfied
with a maximum yield of some 5000.
000 tons. No blow could more cf-
fectualN cripple German industriulis "
and with II Germany's capacity to or
ganizc another war thar the loss of
the Lorraine ore beds, and nothing
could SO certainly and 50 speedily re-.
establish the economic equilibrium o.
I France as to regain possession of
them In the fate OF Alsace- Lorraine
there is involved nothing less than the
/ Industrial primacy OF Europe.
Even, however. when FRANCE has
resumed her rightful ownership uf Tho
lost provinces and IN doing 80 has be-
come the supreme sturchouse of iron
ore on the continent the coal prob
lem viii SIN remain. Not only viii 1t
remain, 1t win he aggravated and u
q form that Will ask for rs right SOC
luton from both the French ana IN"
British governments high degree CO..
commercial diplouacy
III has been shown, then. that Ger
many for forty-fi,c years has built up
her industrial and military position ou
the out, 'lt OF the Lorraine ore fields
& thus, ore fields are taken from her
possession e ~taeg,riug ana apparent
ly AN rreparablo blow Will be ,truo
al the very root OF ner prosperity and
success That blow she can partially
counter bN supplying Germn coal IN
return for rench ore. II is tu the in
terest both Of France ana uf Great
Britain that thi. lcop-holc should bs
blocked II II is allowed to remain
open ana b; large and profitable con,
merciul relations are rc-crcatcd be-
tween France ana Germany, the dam
ger is great that Frame may again be-
dr0wu into the German net. Great
Britain therefore. the only ther con-
siderable source ~ suppl, in Europe
must hcstir herself go furnish France
with the indispensable cukinr ,o.u tr
order To- save her from being compcil-
.ed TO obtain Il from Gcrmany Great
Hrituin again, must import iron ore
from Franc, ln order To- relieve her.
~ the necessity uf selling u Go GER.
man, ana France. one may Doe uut.
confident stands ready 10 rn-uprratr
toward these two end. b> such lm-
proom,n,- iu her Internal water
transport and her railway rate he'd.
ulc- ass VIII facilitate the export u..
ore and me import % Goa. and tuh'
The question Is more thau one oi
pounds ana fruurs and more thau one
of -,izug aud holding "a commanding
position u The fight for trade thai VIII,
reopen when the war itself is over.
!. is more even than "a question p'
uniting Faucc ana Great Britain O.
the Developments of AN mdustr, ,ha'
under their control win u',,l bc USED
for 'uN nut peaceful purposes ~ CONE
Wcrrc 70 be- q question of making it'
Impossible for Germany ever to go Co
Nor gain without Lorraine her ca
rocr "' oongt,-1 ond spuiIaror comes
to 90 stop WIN Lor- /
wuo n ull always Doe within hsr
power ID rt-fIfut IT,