The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-02
PREPARE FOR
FUTURE WARS
CONTINUED from page IL

ana All e~~~~
conquest.
The Importance of the Lorraine
iron basin Gin the conduct of future
wars) is the concluding argument Of
the entire memorial for forcible an
nexation of this strip of French ter
ritory.
The memorial frankly states that:
"If, with the outbreak of hostilities
in 1914. the French had destroyed
their own iron mines Of the Briey and
Longwy basins which later fell into
the hands of the Germans and at
the same time with their long range
guns destroyed iron mines on the
German side of the Lorraine FROM
tier the war could not have lasted
more than a few months"
Equally frank admission Is made
that it is only with the iron secured
from the occupied mines of French
terraine that the Germans in 1917
were able to meet the needs of their
artillery.
Under the second heading, that re-
gard for the future imposes on the Ger
mans the absolute necessity of eX-
tending their Lorraine frontier until
it includes all of the French iron
basin. the declaration is made that
France having overlooked the posi-
bility in 1914 of quickly terminating
the war by destroying Germany's iron
sources, she would never make the
same mistake again. AS conse-
quence, it declares that the Lorraine
frontier must be extended to point
where 1t not only gives Germany all
the Lorraine iron basin, but places
this even outside the range OF French
heavy artillery. Only in this way
can France be prevented from check
ing Germany's future wars"
Leading German mineral authori-
ties are then quoted to show that
within forty or fifty years Germany's
iron mines will be completely ex-
hausted. AS a consequence the me-
mortal urges:
LET no one believe that Germany
in peace time will be able to assure
herself iron reserves for future
war. And let no one dare to pretend
on his own responsibility that such
iron reserves would be sufficient.
During the first forty months OF
this war, Germany in order to meet
the needs Of the national defense
spent more than fifty million tons of
iron and steel.
Actually, we use in, a single day
of the war at the present time more
iron and steel than we used through
out the entire war of. 1901"
Admission is made that Germany
has only been able to continue the
war to date by the exploitation of all
the iron mines, stocks and resources
of the territories she has occupied.
The document continues:
1--WE do not have the right to count
that in a future war we Will nave
the good fortune second time to
be able to exploit the territories oc-
cupied and to increase our resources
Of first materials"
A whole chapter Is devoted to a
graphic description of the basis on
which Germany's future wars must
be conducted The memorial says:
For the future war it Is neces-
sary that we dispose of considerable
resources in German ore, for the
richer an Industrial nation is in iron
ore, the greater it is feared by its
enemies.
'In the future 1t will not be masses
of men grouped in gigantic armies
that will decide the war, but above
all defensive and offensive instru-
mentS or perfected Iecnnlc pIdceu d.
the disposition of the combatants in
sufficient quantities and constantly
ut is thus that the. mineral dis
tricts Of Lorraine to which we are
already indebted for not having been
annihilated in the present war, will
protest US in the future war and
permit us to assure the welfare of the
empire and at the same time spare |
he blood Of the people"
The last chapter, entitled "conclu-
,ions," concludes as follows:
ut is necessary to see in the |
seizure by Germany Of all of Lorraine |
lot merely a war indemnity and a
source of vigor for the fatherland, |
,ut also guarantee Of a durable /
,eace and Of security for the father
and"
The memorial is signed in behalf |
# the association of the German
manufacturers of iron and steel by
". Meyer, president, and DR.. J.
aeichert, administrator; and in be-
lalf of the association of German
by Voegler, president,
nd o. Peterson, administrator.