The Washington times., 1934-02-19
Germany Envies Austria's
Mountain of Iron

Jury 10 gain ton. IOQay Wnen
the mines are going top speed
air drills on every step bite
deep. The web of wires that
ShroudS the mountain carries at
one time the spark to 800 blasts
and in one mighty roar a ton
Of dynamite flays another layer
OF the monsters hide. For min
utes the echoes below up and
down the valley. Our guide re-
marked:
ut is marvellous to hear.
Sometimes we have war vet
Grams here, and they always say
it reminds them of the biggest
bOmbardmentS they ever heard
at the front"
PRODUCTION DECLINES
From one days blasting at this
rate the mines gain 5000 tons
or more of ore that runs better
than so per cent pure iron. In
its best year, 1915, Erzberg pro-
duced 2,260,OOO tons. In 1888
production went down to 100000
tons. This year Alpine-Montan
expects to do 100000 or about
the 1881 level.
Germany of course requires
more ore than Alpine -Montan's
present or past production.
At present the sales to Ger
many are severely Handicapped
by freights to the Ruhr. But
Apline-Montan needs Germ n
coke, and the same cars can
take coke to Erzberg and iron
ore back to the Ruhr. This is
a possibility for peacetime trade
between Germany and Austria
and is an example of the sort
Of mic advantage that
could result to the two countries
from political union.
But Germany is more inter
ested in Erzberg's capacity. Even
though it would not supply all
Of Germany's needs in time Of
war it could supply an impor-
tant part Of them.
Fourth of Total
The 300 million tons of ore in
Erzberg equal about a fourth of
the total ore supply that Ger
many has left to her after losing
the French fields. And the con-
venience of the Erzberg supply,
lying on the surface with room
for 10000 men to shovel it away,
is unexcelled in Europe.
It seems possible that the for
mer maximum yearly production
of 2,260,000 tons could be tripled
of quadrupled if need existed,
and that would mean that
Erzberg in wartime could supply
Germany with 40 to SO per cent
Of the ore she lacks.
Even when Germany had the
ore fields that now belong to
France, she appreciated the i'm
portance of Erzberg. Erzberg's
guest book shows it. This guest
book of an iron mine has his
tory and romance in its faded
leaves.
First name in it, written 40
years ago is Archduke Francis
Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-
Hungarian throne, whose assas-
sination 81 years after he visited
Erzberg, was the signal for the
world war.
In 1916, appear the names of
German officers come to arrange
delivery of ore to war-hungry
furnaces. Again and again appear
the names of commissioners
from the Berlin Ministry of war.
Finally To SHINES
After war comes Castillo Casti-
glioni, the great Italian initiation
profiteer, who made and lost a
major fortune in the wreck of
currencies. Erzberg was for a
while in Castiglioni'S hands. Then
comes the name of Hugo SHINES,
who picked up Erzberg as an item
in his fantastic inventory. Then
Zimmerman, the commissioner
of the League of Nations to Aus
tria. Finally Voegler, German
iron master, whose steel trust now
owns Erzberg through Alpine
Montan.
After war broke. a long and
ominous blank in the guest book
reflects the shock that stunned
Europe.
A full year after August, 1914,
the first guests to sign again
were five little rch-duchesses with
their mama. After the war ended
came another long blank. And
then the first guests to sign again
were the three little children Of
Skado, lord of munitions.
Munitions families can still af-
ford a trip to Erzberg.