Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1923-01-13
.RUHR ONE OF RICHEST
REGIONS IN WORLD
II is Leading Coal and Iron
Centre With Many Manu-
featuring Towns.

Germany's great mining and indus
| trial region known as the Ruhr Basin.
which the French have entered, ex-
tends east of the Rhine FOR n distance
~ thir,y-two miles and includes the
Ruhr- Lippe watershed north of the
River Ruhr and the Ruhr- Wupper
watershed south Of it. giving the re
| gion n width of about fifteen miles
north and south OF the stream from
which II takes its name.
In coal. steel and iron. II is ono
of the richest regions OF the world
/ in the production Of steel and iron
machinery and implements Il stands
first In Germany. IN the production Of
calf and textiles II has few rivals in
the Reich. BEFORE the war its coal
fields, working only 40 per cent of
their capacity. produced 10000. 600 DOT
tons n year. only second IN the world
to the PENNSYLVANIA fields, and In cor
responding ratio 5000, 600 tons Of pis
iron were produced, which was 40 pei
cent OF Germany's entire output and
10 per cent OF the worlds.
The development Of tho industry ri
tho region is illustrated by the growth
OF the population. sixty years ago q
was fewer than 500 10 tho squar,
mile; II Is now 1900. while Rhod,
Island. with about the same area. hai
fewer than half that number.
4 The population is chiefly concen
trated around the mining and manu-
featuring cities. all led by Essen. tn
home or the great Krupp works. which
before the war employed more thar
$1,000 men. and as many more else
where. During the intense produc
ton induced by the war its payrol
frequently reached 200. 900 men. Il
, 1854 the town had only 10000 inhabit
, ants. The krupp works. founded b
, Friedrich Krupp. had then been 4
operation forty-four years. In 1853 In
founders son. Alfred. turned 10 IN
manufacture OF cannon and began {
5 supply nearly every European nation
!, The population OF Essen is now NOR
. than half a million.
3 The same rapid development char
e acterlzes Dor,mund with IL populatio
) OF 100000 and Il 500 boundaries; {
J, Hagen, with Il iron and textile mills
: OF Hamm with It's output Of iron an
- steel implements; Of Bielefeld with Il
5 machinery factories and linen mills
Of Unna with It's salt works. and ,
!, half a dozen other towns of less Pre-
u ductive importance.
Today II is alleged that the regio,
- on account OF the interests whic
a dominate IL IS producing only 80 p,
q cent OF its pre-war capacity. tt
excuse is that the 5000 900 tons
I raw metal which the plants receive
!. annually from Lorraine and Luxen
< bourg are no longer procurable. TT
: French by their occupation Of II
Ruhr, IL is said. would naturally see
e TO restore the equilibrium.
n There are ss7 stock companies wit
e an invested capital equal TO near
$500 600 900 in the Ruhr. These con
Z, panies have all been absorbed
~ thirteen great corporations. while OF
y new consortium directs their finanCi
interests. At the head OF the thirte,
- are the following industrial magnat
or companies; Hugo SHINES. Krup
!, Haniel. I<loeckner. the L0theringe
y IIoesch: Mannesmann. Mansfield. q
Phoenix. Roechling. Stumm. Thyss'
and the Rheinische.
:. These cOnsOrtiums. IL is alleged
- the experts Of Premier Poincare. tn
absolutely In control Of the produ
- ton and employment OF the Rub
- are able through the Ruhr 10 contr
4 the entire production and employing
Of the Reich, making the governme
!. at Berlin do their bidding and demo
strating TO the people. by manipulate
supply and demand, that the COVER
h ment can do no more. one item. co
"a the basis OF all manufacturing linda
81 try, will illustrate the potential veal
IN Of the region, whose restricted pI
- ductivity is said TO have caused
o. German mark TO fall from twenty
ne the dollar I'm 1919. TO 1o5 in Septemb
\ 1921, and today TO over 10000 while
every hand all Germany is workiI
ne well fed, well clothed. but what shot
IS. be their savings are going into
d. treasury Of the consortiums with VI
ed balances I'm foreign banks.
ne According 20 the German coal
nd pert. Schults, the region has visi
reserve OF $4,000. 100000. tons. of VII
II 900. 900 may be mined down 10
meters. 1873 between zoo and 600 a
and 25.O00,0O0 tons between 900 a
u 800 meters. BESIDES this vast st
a Of Hack coal. according TO the ga
'e. expert. the Ruhr has visible reese
II OF 1000 600 900 tons Of Ignite
" brown coal.
In The conferences Of the Supre