Evening star., 1939-09-24
By Joseph S. Edeerfon.

It By Hitler to take the rich fields by to
tanks ShOtDn in in set are at q refner
of these latter sources have been closed
to her by the war Whether she can
rely on Spanish sources may depend on
whether Italy can control the Mediter-
ranean as an active ally Of the Reich.
The maintenance by Germany of i'm
ports Of high-grade ore from the Swedish
mines in Lapland is regarded as essential
to her continued war power, as the ex-
port surpluses Of other neighboring
countries are very slight by comparison
with Germany's present requirements Of
more than 10000 900 tons a year.
Has Few Surpluses.
Luxembourg exports about 10000 900
tons of iron ore a year. Norway 1000 900
tons and Yugoslavia, Greece and the
U. S. S. R. about 100000 tons each.
Supplies from Soviet Russia, notably the
Ukraine, no doubt could be increased,
but not by nearly enough to supply the
German requirements, especially in the
event OF a war effort by Russia herself.
Germany also obtained about $500 900
tons of ore year from Algeria and
Tunisia in French North Africa, but
these sources presumably would be Of no
more avail in time of war than France
itself.
OF all the types of war commodities
Greater Germany today produces more
than she needs and has surpluses for
export only of coal, potash, magnesite
and beet sugar. She produces enough
potatoes for all her own needs, but is
not elf-sufacient in any other COM
modify.
She partially produces her require
ments in iron, lead, zinc, manganese and
antimony among the essential metals;
petroleum, sulphur and pyrites among
the minerals; rubber and timber among
the other raw materials, and wheat, meat
and fats among the foodstuffs.
She is largely or wholly deficient in
the production of copper, tin, bauxite
aluminium ore), nickel, tungsten, chro-
MUM, vanadium, molybdenum. mercury,
phosphates, asbestos cotton, wool, jute.
silk, fax, hemp, sisal, maize and, of
course, such items as coffee, tea and
tobacco.
The German output of natural oil is
very small, but the synthetic production
of oil from coal has proceeded so far
that the Reich today can supply about
one-third of her peace-time needs, ac-
cording to the British survey. In war
time her needs for oil and its fuel prod
1p1,h1ol frok1oI
requirements.
Petroleum in Rumania.
Rumania is the largest Central Euro
pean producer of petroleum Her total
exports are approximately equal to Ger
many's pre-war imports Rumania, how
ever, could not begin to meet the Ger
man wartime requirements unless her
output could be very much expanded.
At present, it is reported, Rumania's s pro-
duction is not increasing, but actually Is
declining, whether because of exhaustion
Of the fields or control of production is
not made clear. From Germany's view
point the Rumanian situation is compli-
Gated because nearly 80 per cent of her
petroleum output now is controlled by
foreign countries, chiefly Anglo-Dutch,
American, French, Belgian and italian.
Outright conquest of the Rumanian oil
fields, therefore, may prove the only
emergency solution for the Reich.
Apart from Rumania, according to the
British survey, the obvious source Of sup
ply for Germany is from the Baku petro-
leum fields of Russia. Soviet demands
for petroleum, however, have so much
sian export surplus has been very much
reduced, and in event of Russian war
undoubtedly would disappear at once.
Poland has produced petroleum for
a number of years, but reports indicate
that her supply is nearing exhaustion
and no longer constitutes an important
factor. The petroleum output of Hun
gary has increased in the last year, but
it does not appear likely that her pro-
duction, at least for the present, will
more than supply her own requirements
Copper From Yugoslavia.
Germany can produce enough copper
to supply only fraction of her require
ments, even in peace times. Her most
important war source of supply will be
Yugoslavia, although the copper mines
of that country are partially controlled
by French company, the Mines de Bor.
But even the entire copper output Of
Yugoslavia, the largest In Europe, could
not supply the German war require
ments. The bulk Of the German supply
has been coming from the United States,
Chile, Northern Rhodesia, Canada and
the Belgian Congo, all of which would
be closed to her by . tight blockade.
Norway, Finland and Sweden can pro-
vide her with small supplies Of copper
and Russia also mines copper but like
wise Is driven to imports to meet her