New-York tribune., 1921-11-27

The fall Of the German marx co un-S
heard of levels has been one adverse
factor of very serious nature. Mucn
publicity has been given to the fact
that the Germans are obviously in
position to undersell the French. Much
less has been heard of the big shake-up
which has taken place in the Frencn
potash industry, and which has been
attended with long train of compll-
Gated ltigations The reorganization
from within has been of the greatest
Importance, because potash IS regarded
as one of Frances aces in foreign trade.
Senator Helmer, who has been In
charge of the, sequestered MINES OF
AIsace from the start, has been at
tackled in the Chamber OF Deputies, ana
an official investigation of his conduct
IN Office and the expenditure OF some
100000 900 marks, has been instituted
The efficiency of the Sequestrator's
work has been questioned rather than
anything else. A.
first year of French operation perml!-
ted the Alsatian mines to earn approx
mately 127,00O,OO0 francs. A great in
crease in production was made, being
encouraged by booming sales during
the false prosperity of 1920. One mil
lion sixty-six thousand metric tons of
crude salts were produced in 1870, as
against 100000 tons under German op-
Grafton in 1918 (the Germans had been
limiting the output to 10 per cent
capacity). 1t was planned to reach an
output of about two and haif mliiloh
tons of ore by 1922. The sales agents
were selling only for ruture deiivery'
so great was the demand. But then the
crash came. 1t became difficult to de-
liver even contradiction supplies, the
market dropped in the early part OF
this year to about 80 per cent OF the
peak. and stocks piled up at the mines.
Output Reduced
Instead of the huge quantity produc-
tion of some 100000 tons of crude
salts, yielding 100000 tons of pure
potash, the output has been reduced to
10000 tons of ore month, about 70
ser cent of the rate at the beginning Of
NAck have accumulated at the mines
ee.x lean days have set in.
In the meantime, it has been charged,
the expenses of the sequestered mines
have been entirely out of proportion
With their earnings power under the
changed conditions. There has been
costly propaganda. steel tracks have
been installed. repairs and construction
OF workers houses undertaken--all of
AS result of this, steps have been
taken to secure bank loans or at least
an advance from the state, and an off,
cial investigation has been instituted.
The Societe Commerciale des Potasses
d'Alsace, which embraces both the
privately-owned and the provisorily
state operated mines, has in other
words been ''laid ON the carpet" and is
about to be given a thorough over
hauling.
1t Is generally believed that the dis
1ute was brought on by private inter,
csts who are anxious to get possession
of the mines, although the charge of 3
disproportionate expenditure is serious
enough. Only 90 per cent of the mine
concessions. 1t must be remembered
are owned by private individuals with
in the syndicate, the rest being operated
by the state, until all the concessions
are either disposed Of or their owner
ship determined.
Claim Of Ownership
Before the war few Of the mines
were worked by Franco -A1satian inter-