The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-23
QUITE UNBELIEVABLE
ATROCITIES OF HUM
Life OF France and Belgium
Beyond Imagination.

Washington, d. c.. April 22.--Frank 2
n. Probert,, consulting engineer of the
bureau of mines, department OF the
interior. and dean OF the college OF
mining, University OF California, mem
Der OF a special commission to In
vestigate the damage done by the Ger
mans during the war to the coal and
| iron mines and the steel works OF
France and Belgium, after a per-
so"ai invcstiga ton has Just returned
to Washington with a frst-hand story
OF The almost unbelievable atrocities
! OF the Huns N the destruction and
wreckage Of the Industrial life OF
France and Belgium. So systematic
ANA dtabolicai has been this destruc-
ton in one great coal-mining region.
Mr.. Probert says, that 1t will take at
least five wears to rehabfiitate this
district and II will be twelve to fif-'
teen years before it gets back to
normal pre-war output He predicts
that with the indomitable spirit Of
France, in spit of the fearful destruc-
ton of her steel works, with the re-
turn OF Aisace and Lorraine to the
mother land, France will eventually
become the dominant factor IN tbs
future steel industry of Europe
In a preliminary report to Van Fl.
Manning director or the hrre~y1 ~
mines Mr.. probe-t saw IN nxr<.
Early in the war the German bcyAe~
swept southwark through the iron
basins OF French Alsace and Lorraine.
and for nearly four years this renown-
cd m lining area was held and exploited
hv the invaders Manv NJ tho r-r.
pioyes were made "a ntfve, and royr-
PEELED to WORK in the mines urdey
German direction THE International
boundary he+veen E'rapce ,p6 ce~
MANY was drawn in 1871 IN c+v. the
victor Of the Erapco-prnssiar uay
control Of tho iron folds hr,t ..nc~
that time scientific devetonr,ept ,,,;d-
ed nv better understanding ~ the
local geology. exposed for Franco a
greater ore eserye ut lower hor.zrr~
than that Of The LORRAINE .rrerae
"Drr;rc tho German orcunatioy, ~.
iron mines were NOT irtensive,v en-
n,oite6 hec,,So of tha ,acs~~;+r- re- =. 81
cr,,i+inp every ah1e-hoSied W., ,n+o
tho Teuton army and IN .ccor,t ~
the large accumulation ~ war miner
ais IN incarceration $or ,ha war The
actual nhvsical dam.go r. tba ,ror
mines is comnarativelv small vber
coropared to tbe des.ruo+;on ~ ~
coal acids ~ rcr+herr u,,-a,,ca r,ica
10 as renraberc;hla ,S - IL, oorr n,eto
"onlr in a four cares vrb,ra r,I,,rr
hava hann rohhad IN +ho ,,;ros l.
there any co,,anse ~ UNDERGROUND
vorkingv mt +ne ec,,,nrart hn,h
enr-ace and ,ndar,ro,,rd - 49,
r,isusad and wbaro ore has haan
mined the lact ~ davnfo,n,en+ viii
aeSer raeri1,+;or ~ c.r;,,r 80, e.
arnlora+orv ,rorr is sume;er+i,, a.
varced ~ .s,,i+ re d,;l,. o,+,,,, a.,
nrov;n, a+i,g n-..war cora,;o,s r.he
mines are not seriously crinnIed hu.
What of tho stool nlantS IN rrbieh NC
! iron oras ,re rneIted, To- 49,, arir
ion No such atrocitv was e,,e- nar
! netrated arainst tbe i,anetrist Iito
! Of anv country
"Nagr,f,cen+ niap+s eor,nari,-
| r.vorah,v with arvtbi,o. NO ha,,a =,
! tbe rrnited states arc VOW b,+
| tangled ,v;s+ad mace ~ str,ct,,r.,
| stool ana hro,yer stone rha ,,;1e,,l
! dar,o 1itio, ,,,as scierttso.u, r,ar.as
and systematicallv carriaa ONT rhis
| q flor the rer,ovol of 81, s,,oh r.,,,art.
! cal ara aractricat ,,o.ar ,,,,t. 80 oo,,rs
| he used nv Germany TIE maIic;ous-
ness and emc,encv w,tb u,birh All.
| crime ayainst E,rancb irars+r,r u,as
I carried ont is almost unhaIiaya b,e
"Tn the coal districts ~ pas de
| Calais and Nord &, sector for1h, o,,er
| from, thu haviun,pg IN III. ara - +ha
war. changing hands Frequently hom
/ hHrdeI all the TINA al xnyfoca strt,n
| lures whather of town y;11a ra ~.
| mining enternr;sa have hear ro,aa
| Perhaps this may he 1eeitin,ato u-ar
| fare, but II is horrible to look unnn
now since rho p,,ns arc si1sroad and
| the FRENZY of corn hat &c mast r$
"Arras Douai pstbune Panaprne
Lens Ioos Courr,ere centers ~ coals
/ mining activity Int a few wears arc
and the majnsnrinss ne p.rerch IN
! dustrial life are gone hnt tho In
| domitabIe shirt n France surv.va.
| and already MANS are laid for IN.
! future Rruay. at tbe western edy.E
| OF the known coal feld w,. NOT a.
! the fighting zrne and itS o,,tnut ba.
been steadily maintained hut go,ny-
| eastward tho frirh tfulness 10 rnh-s ana
more annal,ipp for +bo h.ta "a -.
Hun left its mary on tbe mines dur-
! inv his forced retreat
.sThe coal measures are ,ver,a,r ~
watarhearing strat, nace.sita+tn-
| special methods ~ shat s,nLir~ arS
| support to keen the n,ines Nv Ths
| steel lining of the sba 10 was dyr.Yrit-
| ed. letting the Quick sands and fiood.