The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-05-16
Tells OF RUIN
WROUGHT BY HUNS
vnlted States Mining Expert In
yestigates Coal and Iron RI
Mines In France. ~
are SET BACK MANY YEARS
Frank n. Probert Gives First.Hand
Story Of Unbelievable Atrocities Of ~
Huns In Destroying industrial
H. Life 81 France and Belgium.


Az TL% - ---r~syt.a 49,
Washington. - Frank a.. Probert,
consulting engineer OF the bureau of
mines, department of the interior, and
sean Of the College OF Mining, Uni.
3srsity Of California, member Of
special commission to investigate the
- damage done by the Germans during
the war to the coal and iron mines
anil the steel works Of France and
Belgium, after personal investiga-
ton, has just returned to Washington
with a first-hand story Of the almost
unbelievable atrocities of the Huns in
the destruction and wreckage Of the
Industrial life Of France and Belgium.
So systematic and diabolical has been
this destruction in one great coal
mining region, Mr.. Probert says, that
II will take ut least five years to re-
habllitate this district and it will be
twelve to fifteen years before it gets
back to normal, pre-war output. He
predicts that with the indomitable
spirit of France. in spite Of the fearful
destruction to her steel works. with
the return of Alsace and Lorraine to
the mother land. France will eventual
Ky become the dominant factor in the
future steel industry OF Europe.
Exploited by Invaders.
I'm a preliminary report to Van Fl.
Manning. director Of the bureau Of
mines. Mr.. Probert says In part:
"Early In the war the German hordes
swept southwark through the iron
basins Of French Alsace and Lorraine,
and for nearly four years this re-
nowned mining area was held and ex-
plotted by the invaders. Many of the
employees were made captives and
e3ermnn direction. The international
boundary between France and. Ger
many was drawn in 1871. to give the
yfctor of the Franco-Prusslan war con-
troll of the iron fields, but since that
time scientific development, guided
by better understanding Of the local
geology, exposed for France great
sg ore reserve at lower horizons than
q that OF the Lorraine annexee. ~ 4.
@The actual physical damage to the
Iron mines Is comparatively small
when compared to the destruction Of
The coal fields of northern ID. France.
which Is as reprehensibIe as it is COM
piete. Only In 4 few cases, where pill
- hrs have been robbed IN the mines. rs
there any collapse Of underground
workings, but the equipment, both
surface and underground. has been
misused. and where ore has been
niRed. the lack Of development will
defer realization on capital until the
exploratory work Is sufficiently nd
yanced TO admit of daily output APP
proximating pre-war conditions. The
mines are not seriously crippled. hut
That Of the steel plants in which the
iron ores are smelted? In my opinion
no s,rrh atr0city was ever perpetrat"d
against The industrial lfe Of any
country. Magnificent zplaEts, ,ro'npnr-
Ing fuvnrahly with anything we have
in the United States. are. now but
tangled. twisted mass of structural
steel and broken stone The willful
demolition was scientifically planned
and Systematically carried out. This
after the removal Of all such mechan-
zeal and electrical power units as
eould be used by Germany. The ma
aefousncss and efficiency with which
this crime against French Industry
was carried out Is almost unbeliev-
able.
Surface Structures Razed.
I'm the coal districts Of Pas de
Calais and Nord, sector fought over
from the beginning to the end Of the
1ar. changing hands frequently. bonn
harded all the time. all surface struc'
cares whether of town. village or min
Eng enterprise have been RACED. Ar
-as. Douai Bethune. Bapaume, Lens.
Zoos, Courriere, centers of coal-min-
8ag activity hut few years ago and
Sae mainsprings Of French Industrial
NE are gone, but the indomitabe
spirit of France survives and already
aSans are laid for the future. Bruay,
MT the western edge of the known coal
5eIi, was not In the fighting zone and
sts. output has been steadily main
aimed, but going eastward the fright
safness is more and more appalling.
Scr the hate of the Hun left its mark
On the mines during his forced retreat.
The coal measures are overlain by
water-bearing strata. necessitating
scecial methods Of shaft sinking and
sspnert to keep the mines dry. The
ssses lining of the shafts was dyna.
szstsd, letting in the. quicksands and
Seeding the underground workings for
aaslss around. In the entire Pas lie
Calais region It's estimated that 120.-
10000 cubic meters of water must be
pumped before mining operations are
assumed Having flooded the minss,
sate head frames and surface equip
nent were systematically dynamitad.
tte twisted debris In many cases fill
sag up the demolished shafts.
Likes Chewing Gum.
ST Louis--Police are looking for