Evening star., 1919-11-16
Textile and Other Industries.

Textile and Other Industries.
Four-fifths Of the textile industries
Of Germany have been paralyzed. This
Is due, mainly, to shortage Of raw
materials. Dependent on her home
supplies OF wool and cotton. Germany
is practically destitute Of these ma
terials and has resorted to substitutes
for them.
The production Of steel in Ger
aa. ,er ns.nes %s. aaiy
100000 tons. which is about rs per
cent Of normal.
There ID . great paper shortage in
Germany, and the demand for most
kinds Of paper has increased vastly
factories are Idle because Of the lack
Of raw. material, and buyers must
send their orders to several facto-
ries to obtain the kinds and quanti-
ties desired. Many orders for finer
rnand for news print Is great.
+ Lack Of rubber has practically stopped
the manufacture OF rubber goods. Au-
tomobile and bicycle tires are now made
Of paper Paper is also used in making
of bandages and other hospital supplies.
These extensive abnormal uses Of paper
doubtless account in part for the scare
ity Of paper for ordinary purposes.
Condition of Railroads.
At the end Of 1914 the German rail-
way system included q total Of about
3s, 400 miles Of tracks. During the war
new construction was confined to
strategical lines, The Germans took up
railroad tracks not in military use in
the occupied territory Of Belgium.
France. Poland and other countries to
procure materials for repairs and new
lines in Germany.
The lines used for military transpor-
tation were kept in fairly good repair
considering the unusual wear and tear
on the roads caused by war conditions,
the use Of iron ties being chiefly re-
The machinery defects increased though.
due to lack Of good lubricating oil and
| OF material for repairs. Copper has
been replaced by inferior metals which
do not have its strength and resistance.
After the armistice traffic was further
hampered by demobiliEation, strikes. by
the revolutionary troubles and by the
obligation to furnish the allies with To-
| comotives and cars.
The immense demand for transport
facilities and the increasing deteriora-
tion of the railways and railway rolling
stock emphasized the Importance to
I! Germany of canal development. Dur
ing the war traffic by, waterways
| doubled. The rivers and canals were
crowded with boats carrying coal, stone
/ and cement. grain and garden truck.
Shipping.
Germany is now practically stripped
Of her merchant marine through losses
at the beginning Of the war;. the pro-
! visions OF the armistics and the allies
!.terms for providing food. Germany will
be dependent on foreign ships.
Industrial Losses. .
The industrial losses are no less
serious. The total loss in coal in
is, equivalent to about one-third Of
i the total pit coal output. The West
phafian Coal fields, which Yield the
best European coke, are. indeed, left
to Germany, but clauses are included
in the peace-treaty which consider
ably restrict its freedom to dispose
OF this coal for its own purposes. and
Germany Is placed under the obliga-
tfOn to deliver approximately 37,00O,-
900 tons of coal to the allies, ana this
will have, to be deducted from the
output remaining. which in tho years
Immediately following the war will
fnot regain the pre-war level. Unless,
therefore, Germany can very consid-
erably raise Its output, the loss Of
Upper Silesia and Saar basin, together
with the fulfillment Of the remaining
obligations. formulated in the treaty,
will render necessary . very much
larger import Of coal or q consider
able reduction In consumption.
The loss of Alsace-Lorraine carries
with it most serious effects on the
lGerman iron industry. for not only
the Lorraine works themselves, but
also the remaining west German iron
establishments. especially those In
Rhsnish Westphalia and tho Saar
basin, obtain their ore requirements
to Z very appreciable extent from the
Lorraine mines. The loss Of Lorraine
viii, therefore, make Germany de-
pendent for the greater portion Of its
| iron production on foreign ores. 1t is
no doubt true that ores will be OBJ
tainable from Sweden, Spain and
Russia-Perhaps also even from
man iron industry will, nevertheless.
be SO greatly restricted that; a dis
proportion will arise between raw
material and industrial product which
will render the continued existence Of