Evening star., 1923-10-24
SWEDES LOSE ORE
TRADE IN GERMANY
Ruhr Occupation Cuts Off
Iron Demand-Arctic Work
erS Face Hardship.
By the Associated Press,


KIRUNA, North of Arctic Circle,
Sweden, October 20.--Frances occu-
patton of the Ruhr, and the resultant
collapse of the Swedish iron ore
trade with Germany, have brought
hardship TO Sweden's great northern
iron fields and aroused enmity to
France in the large arctic areas of
north Sweden and Norway which de-
pend upon the pay rolls of tho iron
districts for their existence.
In 1922 the Kiruna field used to
send three shipleads of ore daily to
the Norwegian port of Narvig. At
present there is scarcely a shipload
week. Germany formerly took the
greater part of this ore. She has the
furnaces to handle il, but her ,pur-
chases have ceased since the furry in
the Ruhr.
naces suitable to the reduction of the
swedish ore. The Bethlehem Steel
Company has furnaces which are
capable of using this ore. and some of
1t goes to America. Sweden exported
nearly 5,500,0Ae metric tons of iron
ore in 1922, and over so per cent of
this went to Germany. As early as
1913 Germany bought over 1000, 600
tons OF swedish iron ore for the Ruhr
furnaces.
supported by Dne Traff1c.
The The railway which guns from
Narvik. north of the arctic circle in
Norway, lives on the ore traffic. 1t
hauls export ore from kiruna to
Narvik, and from Gellivare and other
mines further south to Lulea. But
the latter port freezes and. in mid
winter the export ore reaches tide
water entirely through the Nor
wegian port. Narsik.
Ore and wood products are prac-
great section of Lapland affords its
single railway. which is entirely elec-
trified and is the most northern cleo
10000 people have sprung. mp here in
the heart of Lapland at kiruna and
Gellivare, where mountains OF iron
ore are being demolished by gigantic
e1sfri' asfer in shesIi stsei n Dump ass cars THESE
load directly into steamers at Lulea
and Narvik, after the manner that
the Mesaba Range pours its ore into
steamers at Superior, Wis, for the
use of furnaces in Indiana or Penn
sylvania.
ters now have only thres or four
DAYS of work a week. and are feel-
ing the pinch which threatens to be-
come worse unless France and Ger
many reach some agreement on the
Ruhr situation. --.- I..
cannot fIuu rNAEAets'
Great Britain has about 100000
tons of iron ore stored at Narvik. In
addition, there are about 1000, 600
tons more which belong to various
commercial organizations. This ac-
cumulated before the arnistiee. Great
Britain bought her part to keep II
from going to Germany, but the Brit
fsh furnaces cannot use 1t, and ap-
parently it has been impossible to
find markets elsewhere.
Spain and Morocco yield an adun-
dance of ore which Is adapted to Brit
ish and French furnaces as they are
now equipped. If German furnaces
do not speedily come into the market
again for the Swedish ores and il
Great Britain does not alter its steel
industry to handle Swedish ore, the
outlook for the Swedish iron mines
is far from promising.
Sweden, furthermore, Is facing new
competition from Chile. Strangely
enough, Swedish builders are con-
stFucting some gigantic ore ships for
the Bethlehem Steel Company which
are to be used in carrying Chilean
ore to the United States. These ves-
sells have several times the capacity
of the average ore ship which has
been operating from Narvik and Lulea
and can handle the product more
cheaply