Grand Forks herald., 1919-12-24
STEEL INDUSTRY
OF FRANCE IS
| BADLY CRIPPLED
Engineers Declare It Will
Take Ten Years For
Reconstruction.

Valenciennes. France, Dec. "a
(By the Associated Press
steel and iron industry. virtually cut
in half by wars ravages. is faced by
what engineers estimate to be an
! eight to ten year task of reconstruc-
ton. Details Of the problem were
| related today to the correspondent of
the Associated Press who is visiting
the devastated regions of France.
! Engineering experts. however, say
the country's steel land iron produce
tion may be much quickened by the
mineral mining and metal treating
plants of Lorraine. returned to
France under the terms Of the ver-
sailles treaty. The seriousness Of the
loss to the industry by war, neverthe-
less. is heightened by the great ne
/; throughout liberated districts and the
dependence Of nearly 10000 in
habitants of these regions on the
blast furnaces and metal mills for a
| livelihood.
Leger, Fresnes. Anzin and other
towns. Of this district, the destruc-
ton suffered as a result of the con-
f1ict is estimated at 80 per cent, in
c1uding the obliteration Of the Denain
and Amin works which were the
most important in France.
Only Half Operating.
OF the more than five hundred
small metal treating and metal con-
struction plants of the devastated
region, government reports show ~
per cent have resumed work but with
only IA per cent of the pre-war
force. This does not include the
large plants which alone are said to
| ho 80 -
chief needs in the way of structural
material and important machinery
taken away or destroyed during the
war.
| No note of pessimism is intended.
it is said. by engineers who forecast
an eight to ten years period of re-
construction before the nation can
regain her former place in the iron
and steel industry. These men,
fact that the work of clearing away
the debris Of war has not yet COM
menced at the largest mill and they
declare this is due to the necessity Of
designing huge plant with equip
ment to cost millions of dollars and
to other preparatory considerations.
| Actual accomplishments to this end.
they. state, are being delayed also by
the general conditions holding up all
construction projects such as lack of
| TRANSPORTATION facilities. labor trou-
bles and shortage Of coal and fuel
It is asserted however, that prog
/ ress will be. certain and steady with
the attainment of half production
within Ave years,
! Small Plants Consolidated
AT present many OF the smaller
plants are said to be devotinK their
output to the most needy fields. In
/ some instances several small concerns
have combined their equipment, in
adequate for separate operation and
have thereby created a group Of lit
tie mills and shops capable Of rapid
action and able to help in some
measure in supplying the crying
needs for machinery of all sorts.
Some OF the bigger companies are
said to be acting deliberately because
of the high prices demanded for the
equipment necessary for their plants.
The unfavorable rate of exchange al
so it is said. has added to this dis
position to hesitate. together with the
hope that prices will come down
within two or three years.
Housing problems at the plants
demanding the attention of the own
crs and promoters because in most
cases. the mills are located in small
towns where the buildings were wip-
ed out during the war.