Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-10-17
RECONSTRuCTIONIS
TO Be WORLD WORK
Americans to Participate In
Supplying Materials Must
Pool Their Interests.

Pool Their Interests.
Washington. - American manufac.
turers who plan TO supply materials for
the industrial reconstruction of north.
arm France should prepare for coopera-
i've selling, for a revolutionary change
IN French methods OF buying is to fol-
low the wer.
"A small number OF central purchas-
ing agencies. representing groups of
tiench manufacturers engaged In re-
isted Industries and assisted by the
credit of the French government Win
deal with those supplying the mater
ial.
Scattered American selling efforts
viii not be able to meet the %reouire-
nents OF the huge buying power of sew
era thousand French consumers. in
the opinion Of Pierce G. Williams. Am
who reports that unless American man
N1acturers prepare for cooperative
selling that they will be laborins under
a serious handicap.
ihe Central Bureau for Industrial
Purchases for the Invaded Regions, a
aIeilca stock. company composed of
many manufacturers, has emphasized
In q report that the task of restoring
me destroyed industries is too large for
Individual and competitive buying. It's
directors are reported as equally GER
tain that il will be out OF the question
Tor isolated American firms. no matter
now large or We'll equipped. to meet the
demand. 1t is with groups OF Ameri-
can manufacturers, each group being
abie to supply a certain industry with
an materials II special equipment
for Its restoration. that the Central
Hurean wishes to establish relations.
Although the French manufacturer
IN the past has been regarded as most
ln~d'vidualtstic among business men.
The size and complexity of the task OF
reconstruction has caused him to ac-
cept such a radical change in his bust
ness methods as collective buying. The
industrial reconstruction in France
alone is more thar one nation a
properly attend to, so the pooling OF
American interests involves solution
of the question OF whether American
manufacturers will be able to hold
their own In competition with other ma
tons.
Wa Factory District.
Although the area occupied by the
Germans In France the last four years
is small as compared with correspond
ing regions in the United States,
northern and eastern France with
Belgium were in 1914 one OF the
busiest workshops in the world. Near
". 5000 factories and Industrial es-
tablishments were in the invaded
parts OF France. and their output was
more than 80 per cent of all of France.
These factories output in proportion
70 the country's total production fol-
lows:
Iron ore, 80 per cent; pig iron, SO
per cent; steel. IS per cent; coal, 70
per cent; combed wool, "a per cent:
Hnen thread. so per cent; sugar. IS
Der cent. -
Owners Of the factories OF course
nave been shut off from normal COM
miinication with their properties. but
in north OF France when the German
army rolled through there have grad
ually worked their way to Paris as
their repatriation has been accom-
plished by the allied arms. In many
localities and in almost countless in
dustrles, nothing remains.
: 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
mantled, the machinery being carried
OH by the Germans, and the copper
wire sold at auction. Practically all
OF the equipment In the metal-work-
ing plants. all the cotton, linen and
wool spinning machinery, together
with wool combing and textile looms,
have been systematically n.llaged.
Germans Strapped Everything.
Repatriated workers report that ma
chimes have been skillfully taken apart
and all the copper and alloys in the
hearings sent to Germany for remelt-
ing. In many instances, after this
was done, the iron frame was broken
up and turned over to German scrap
q dealers.
Steel structures nave been taken
down. and the sheet iron roofs and
steel columns and beams have either
been SEM back into Germany or used
in the war zon Sugar %refineries and
breweries are reported to have been
completely destroyed. Machine shops
finished just before the beginning OF
tho war have been RACED, and If, in
the rear of the battle line the enemy
has continued in operation certain
plants that would serve his purposes,
it is believed that these will be des-
troyed before returning.
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 a of industries known to
have suffered worst is semi-officially
reported as follows:
Francs.
Spinning and combed
wool, 2,4oo, 900 spindles.. 1s2, 1000, 900
Spinning Of cotton. $780,
900 spindles ........... 1s4,ooo,0 900
spindles .............. 100. 200. 900
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