The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-01-25

The only guaranty that is left to
France is to take a mortgage on some
Of the German real estate-for exam
pie, in the industrial region of the
Ruhr. But Great Britain and Amer
lea are very sure that such a mort
gage would not be for their interests
There is nothing punitive or vengeful
about bankers wanting a guaranty for
loan. or American farmers wanting
payment for wheat even from the
hungry people in Germany; but some
how the impression has got abroad
that in desiring a guaranty for the
payment of what is justly due her,
France is proving herself to be in a
vengeful and punitive mood.
VIII yis it righteous for English mer-
chants and American bankers and
farmers to require a guaranty, and
wicked for Frenchmen to do so? A
search into history reveals the fact
vaded, after all, but France. 1t was
French factories which were destroy
ed. 1t was French land that was dew
astated. 1t was French mines that
were deliberately and maliciously
flooded"
This is rather broad satire, but who
will say that it is extravaganza The
truth is that the hideous facts of the
German invasion of France, upon
which rests the whole reparations
case have been submerged for three
years under an interminable flood of
financial theorizing and economic dis
putation. 1t is a genuine public SER
vice, therefore, that the Literary Di-
gest has performed in publishing a
concise and authoritative survey of
the material damages which were
inflicted upon France by
the invaders. What we have written
and quoted heretofore may be ques-
toned, because it is largely opion
What we take from the Literary Di-
gest comprises only facts.
The devastated lands of France
cover 1884 square miles, one-six-
teenth of the area of the country. If
he United States had suffered to the
same degree, the proportionate area of
'uin would be 2S7,652 square miles,
to the New England
states, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Vest Virginia, Indiana and part of
'ropriate, because it was Frances in
ustrial region that was laid waste
The seven devastated departments
aid one-fifth of the nations taxes;
q them were concentrated "a per cent
f it's wool production; 80 per cent of
IS steel industry; 70 per cent of its
ugar industry; So per cent Of its cleo
rio energy; SO per cent of it's coal re-
Durces.
Scores of populous cities and towns
ere left in ruins. In all 741,SS3
uildings were destroyed or made
1890 o fthese were
,hools, and 22,167 were factories
hich had employed hundreds of
of workers. Three thous-
nd miles of railroad-one-tent of
lie country's mileage-were torn up,
8 miles of canal wrecked, and more
AN $4,000 miles of highway ruined
A vital fact is that a vast proper
On of this havoc was not due to the
evitable damage caused by war, but
systematic destruction, ingeniously
AIMED and ruthlessly carried out
he Literary Digest gives some char
teristic details:
'Incendiary fire engines were used
destroy towns; a machine was
tched behind a locomotive which
Oted up the track as it went along;
ncrete factories and warehouses
re mined and dynamited.
eel rolling mills which had stood
act through three years of bonn
rdment were demolished in the last
eks of the war by heavily charged
mes. Blast furnaces with hoists 100
t high were reduced in one day to
mass of bricks and scrap iron. Gangs
men were sent through the ma
ne Shops breaking and cutting,
n sledge hammers and oxyacety-
e blow torches supplemented with
Id bombs or graded charges of dy-
mite. Just before evacuation, cases
dynamite and thousands of shells
t could not be removed were low
d to the easements around founda-
Is. connected by a network of cleo
wires, and exploded simultane-
ly on the day of departure"
pecial attention was given to the
cking of coal mines. It was found
the Germans from French plans of
workings that there were water
ring strata at different levels
m was lowered into the pit with
rye of explosives fastened to one
and in this way holes were blown
ugh the shaft lining where water
collected:
The work was carried out method
y at various depths. guided by the
ogical cross sections found in the
e records. Openings were effected
more than 30 pits within five days