The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-28
WORKMEN TELL OF
 THE RUIN IN FRANCE
Repatriated Men of North ern Provinces Describe Work of Germans During Period of Occupation.

Workmen, engineers, and superin- tendents in factories caught in the north of France when the German army invaded the region have grad ually worked their way back to Paris as repatriation has been accomplish ed. They bring the information that practically nothing remains of the in- dustrial establishments anywhere in the invaded districts, Commercial At- tache Pierce c. Williams reports. MT. Williams says:
 "It is difficult to give any adequate idea of the extent of this damage. While the area that has been under German occupation for almost four years is small, as compared with cor responding regions in the United States, it should be kept in mind that prior to August, 1914, northern and eastern France, with Belgium, con- stituted one of the worlds busiest workshops. In the invaded Depart ments of France alone there were nearly 26,OO0 factories and industrial establishments. These factories rep resented more than 30 per cent. of the industrial output of all of France.
 Before the war the Department now occupied by the enemy furnished France with the following propor! ton of the country's total production of the articles named; Iron ore, 90 per cent; pig iron, s3 per cent; steel, 75 per cent; coal, 70 per cent; comb ed wool, 94 per cent; linen thread, 90 per cent; sugar, 65 per cent.
 Coal mines have been flooded and years will elapse before coal will be hoisted out of them again. Electria lines have in many cases been thor
 oughly dismantled the machinery car ried off by Germans and the copper
 wire sold at auction. Practically all
 the equipment in metal-working
 plants, all the cotton, linen, and wool spinning machinery, together with
 wool-combind plants and textile looms, have been systematically pill laged. Repatriated workmen bring back word that machines have been skillfu1ly taken apart and all the cop per and alloys in the bearings sent in-
 to 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 sreet-iron roofs and steel columns
 and beams have either been sent back
 into Germany or used elsewhere in
 the war zone. Machine shops finish
 ed just before the war broke out
 have been razed to the ground, and, in fhn of
 enemy has continued in operation
 certain plants that are capable of
 serving his purposes, there is every
 likelihood that they will later be de-
 stroyed."
 Figures representing the cost of construction before the war are giv-
 en by MT. Williams These include:
 Central electric stations and lines of distribution, 250,OOO,0O francs; ma chinery and electrical manufacturing plants, 50O,o0O,O0O francs; spinning of combed wool (2,400,O0O spindles) 192, 100000 francs; spinning Of cottor
 (2,S00,000 spindles), 184,O0O,OOG francs; small machine shops, 35O,0O0.- : 900 francs; coal mines 9OO,0Oo, : francs; iron mines, blast furnaces and steel works, 2,500, 900, 900 francs These in addition with other leadirs industries aggregate more than 5000
 100000 francs, or $1.o0o, 100000. Many other flourishing plants witt up-to-date installments have been de. : stroyed. Among these are ice-mak. ing plants, glass works, potteries, es. : tablishments for dyeing and bleach. ing textiles, flour mills, and chemi- cal and fertilizing works. The build
 ings' tools, and stocks of merchandise = represented an enormous capital, and . the cost of replacing them is estimat. ed at three times the original cost.