The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-02
FRANCE HAS TWICE
 PRE-WAR CAPACITY
 FOR MAKING STEEL
Due To Recovery of Province of Lorraine-Maurice de Wendell, Steel Magnate,
 Tells of Industry

IellS or InuuSUy
 Through the return to France of the province of Lorraine, our country now has twice the capacity for the production of pig iron that it pos sessed before the World war" said Maurice deWendel of the firm of Les Petits Fills de Francois deWendei | ct cie, one of the oldest metallur- gical firms of Lorraine ana France.
 France is gradually getting back l her iron and steel making stride that was intercepted and diminished by 1 the war, but it will be several years l before rehabilitation is complete. My | opinion is that it will require two to three more years"
 l Mir. deWendel is of pleasing ap- pearance, six feet tall and of light complexion. A native of Lorraine, he talks French and German with equal fluency. The deWendel works have been in the family since 1705. Fol lowing the French revolution of 17S9 his great grandfather reorganized the concern and every share of stock remains in the family.
 The deWendels are among the | largest iron and steel producers in the world, and, like the Steel Corpo- ration. own and operate all their works from ore and coal mines to finishing mills. They carry 24 acres of finished steel products under one roof and are able to export any where in the world on few hours notice almost any kind of rolling mill product.
 While here MT. deWendel was the guest of George Gordon Crawford, president of the Tennessee company. the two being old friends. MT. Craw- ford was guest of the deWendels at one of their elegant chateaus in | 1905.
 MT. deWendel expressed his ad- miration of the modern character of the steel mills at Ensley, Fairfield and Bessemer, all of which he has visited during his stay here. His visit to Birmingham will bring to an end lengthy trip, during which he has gone through the largest steel works of the country.
 Mir. deWendel was accompanied to Birmingham by Mrs. deWendel. In an interview given The Age Herald at the Tutwiler last night, MT. de- | Wendell said:
 q admire the splendid steel works of America. Many of the American methods could not be used to ad- vantage in France, although the | French steel makers should miss no opportunity to see the marvellous im- provement of the American industry.
 "The deWendels have beer in Ha- yange. Lorraine, since 1705, their works at Hayange and at Moyeuvre being on the German side of the from tier after the war of 1870, and were confiscated during the recent war. Their works at Joeuf (Meurthe and Moselle) and Messempe (Ardennes) were badly damaged by the German army. Monsieur Maurice deWendel was at that time in the service as artillery officer. He had the great pleasure of coming back to his plants at the same time as the troops of the Third American division were crossing the border of Lorraine. "The deWendel works are built with the blast furnaces in immediate proximity to the ore mines. The ore l is the famous minette ore of Lor- raine, of which so much was used during the war.
 Produce Fertilizer
 "In making steel from the iron made from the minette ore the high phosphate slags produced by the Thomas process ,or, as it is frequent ly called, the basic Bessemer process, are considered valuable as a fertil- izer.. They have grindingi plant which produces about 800 tons per day of Thomas slag fertilizer.
 Coke is made by the deWendel company for a portion of their blast furnaces, but most of the coke is pro- cured in Westphaiia.
 "The aggregate number of blast furnaces in the different plants of the deWendel company is 26 blast furnaces. Sixteen of them are in blast at the present time.
 Electricity from Gas
 The use of blast furnace gas Is highly developed, and most of the blast furnaces are blown with air compressed by gas engines, and most of the electrical current used in the plants is produced by gas engines.
 Most of the pig iron produced in the blast furnaces is for the produc- ton of steel by the Thomas basic Bessemer process, although some foundry iron is produced.
 "The deWendel works roll about 900 different sections, and their prod ucts comprise rails, beams. merchant bars, plates, sheets and tin plates. Production Data
 "The production of the deWendel plants in 1913 was as follows: 1,4oO.- 900 tons of pig iron, 100000 tons of steel, 3,000,000 tons of coal.
 "The deWendels sell most of their products in France, but part of them are shipped for export, and even to Germany"
 Mrs deWendel, nee des Monstiers- Merinville. is interested in severa, welfare organizations, both in Paris and Lorraine, In connection with the American -Auvroir funds, of which Mrs. Loomis is chairman. and with the Rockefeller foundation. She was Red Cross nurse during the war.
 The deWendel firm has iron and steel works at Hayange, Moyeuvre and Joeuf; at Thionville and colleries | in Petit Roselle and at Forvach and at Hamm, in Westphalia. They are Interested in many other companies. Friendly Feeling
 | MT. deWendel feels that there ex- ists between French and American business men only the best and most | friendly feeling, and expresses his appreciation of the marvellous hospi- ! tality and the delightful visits which he has enjoyed in America.
 l MORTGAGE GIVEN FOR
 LOAN TO IMPROVE
 NOIITNr DIIIINIMNC