Evening star., 1950-08-24
North Korea Bombing
Is Gripping Russian
Far East Economy
By Roy FoIk
North American Newspaper Alliance

North American Newspaper Alliance
TOKYO, Aug. 24.-The sue
eessful saturation bombing of
North Korean industry by the
United Nations air force is a
tremendous blow to the whole
Russian economic pattern in the
Far East-a fact that is little
known and little appreciated.
No one here knows the COM
plete story about the integration
of North Korean industry into
Soviet economic planning. But,
after dismantling some of the
Korean plants at the end of
World War II, the Russians ap-
parently realized, as the Japanese
had, the significance of a Korean
industry concentrated in the
north for the development of
Manchuria. Thus, for some time,
they detained japanese engineers
to run the factories and later
brought in 1000 supervisors OF
their own.
Shortly after VI day, how
ever. production at these North
Korean factories dropped 80 to
60 per cent. But North Korean
industry is believed to have
reached its old level again this
year. Nevertheless, soon after
World War II, Russia started ex-
porting Korean fertilizer to SAX
halin and potatoes to Siberia.
Huge Plants Leveled.
Super Forts now have destroyed
85 per cent of the Chosen Nitro
gen Explosive Co. factory in
Konan and rs per cent of the
fertilizer plant in the same town.
The latter, biggest and most
modern of it's kind in the Orient,
was able to manufacture 100000
tons of ammonia sulphate yearly,
plus other commercial fertilizers
of the nitrate family. And of
significance is the fact that COM
niercial fertilizer factories can
easily be converted into ammuni-
ton plants.
Destruction of the North
Korean fertilizer industry has a
tWofold effect. 1t means that
Manchurian agriculture, a Gus
toner of North Korean fertilizer,
will be hindered; and North Ko-
rea. a customer of Manchurian
foodstuffS. will starve.
Hong Kong merchants had been
selling the North Korean sulphate
ammonia for the Russians, who
desperately need other goods. But
now, unable to receive sulphate
from Korean sources, Hong Kong
is placing orders with the Japa-
neSe.
PyOngyang Arsenal Knocked Out,
The arsenal at Pyongyang,
manufacturing light tanks, guns
and gunpowder, has been rs per
cent knocked out. This is mainly
a blow to North Korean troops.
But it is certain that Korean
OIL reflneries and synthetic fuel
economy-are also playing a
major role, in the Russian econ
omy But, except for the Wonsan
oil refinery. 80 per cent destroyed,
these industries have yet to be
bombed. When Maj. Gen. EN-
NETT O'Donnell, Far East bomber
commander was asked recently why
numerous dams and power. plants
north of the 38th parallel had not
been bombed, he said, 1--WE just
haven't gotten around to them
yet"
Enormous Power Resources.
Mountainous North Korea has
tremendous power resources. The
Yalu River Dam is believed to be
greater than the Great Russian
Dam at Dnepropetrovsk, with a
power yield of 100000 kilawatts.
Part of this power goes to Man
churian industry. The Japanese
developed an aluminium refinery
during the war on the Manchurian
border, utilizing North China's
clay and Yalu's electricity. The
Japanese also claim that North
Korea holds uranium deposits.
Korea had supplied half of
Japan's tungsten requirements
and was the chief Far Eastern
producer of molybdenum.
The continuing mass B-29
bombings of North Korea are a
severe blow to Russian industria.
strength in Asia.