Show unbelievable 0 avable hun atrock atrocities 0 tl e es frank H Fr probert obert consulting engineer of the bureau of mines department of the interior and dean of the college of mining university of california member of a special american commission to investigate the damage done by the germans during the war to the coal and iron mines and steel works of france and belgium after a personal investigation has just returned to washington with a firsthand first hand story of the almost unbelievable atrocities of the hun in the destruction and wreckage of 0 the industrial du life of france and belgium mr probert together with dr F G cottrell chief me metallurgist gist of the bureau of mines and george S rice the chief mining engineer made up the american mission sent to europe last january on the invitation of the french high commission the purpose of this mission was not only to investigate the damage done but to advise with the foreign officials concerning reconstruction and rehabilitation and assist in any way possible on matters pertaining to the mineral industry mr probert visited the iron mines of nancy briey ariey longwy longay and luxemburg coal mines in the province of and the coal district of pas de calais details of the investigation will be published in an official bulletin of the bureau of mines within the next three months until which time no detailed statement is permissible letters of introduction from M Lou cheur minister of industrial reconstruction in france assured the mission proper recognition ili tion and every facility to expedite the work was given by the french government officials on instructions cabled by secretary of war baker to general pershing rapid transportation was arranged and such other assistance as needed was placed at the disposal of the representatives of the bureau of mines in no other way would it have been possible in so short a time to get as comprehensive an insight into the present day condition of the mining industry of the western front mr probert in a preliminary report to van H manning director of the bureau of mines has the following to say the iron fields of france early in the war the german hordes swept southward through the iron basins basin of french alsace and lorraine and for nearly tour four years this renowned mining area was held and exploited by the invaders many of the employed emp loyes were made captives and compelled to work in the mines under german direction the international boundary between france and germany was drawn in 1871 to give the victor of the franco prussian war control of the iron fields but since that time scientific development guided by a better understanding of the local geology exposed for france a greater ore reserve at lower horizons than that of lorraine annelee Ann exee with the return of alsace and lorraine to the mother land france will become the dominant factor in the future steel industry of europe during the german occupation the iron mines were not intensively exploited because of the necessity of recruiting into the army every able bodied man and on account of the large accumulation of war minerals in preparation for the war the actual physical damage to the iron mines is relatively small when compared with the destruction of the coal fields of northern france which was as reprehensible as it was complete only in a few cases where pillars have been robbed is there any collapse of underground workings in the iron mines but the equipment both surface and underground has been misused and where ore has been mined the lack of development will defer realization of capital until the exploratory work is sufficiently advanced to admit of daily output approximating prewar pre war conditions the mines are not seriously crippled but what of the steel plants in which the iron ores are smelt melted ed no such atrocity was ever perpetrated pet rated against the industrial life of any country magnificent plants comparing favorably with anything we have in the united states are now but a tangled twisted mass of structural steel and broken stone the wilful demolition was scientifically planned and systematically carried out this after the removal of all such mechanical and electrical power units as could be used in germany the maliciousness and efficiency with which this crime against french industry was conducted is almost unbelievable in the coal districts in the coal districts of pas de calais and nord a sector fought over from the beginning to the end of the war changing hands frequently bombarded all the time all surface structures whether of town village or mining enterprise have been razed this may be legitimate warfare but now that the guns are silenced and the frenzy of combat is past it is horrible to look upon arras douai bethune bapaume baraume Bap aume lens loos centers of coal min ing activity but a few years ago and the mainspring of french industrial life are gone but the indomitable spirit of france survives and already plans are laid for the future bouay at the western edge of the known coal field was not in the fighting zone and its output has been steadily maintained but going tea stward the frightfulness is more and more appalling for the rate of the hun left its mark on the mines during his forced retreat the coal meas ures ill are 1 overlain by water waler bearing strata necessitating special methods of shaft sink ing and support to keep the mines dry the steel lining of the shafts was dyna cited letting in the quick sands and hooding the underground workings for many miles in the entire pas de calais region it is estimated that million cubic meters of water must be pumped before mining operations are resumed having flooded the mines the head frames and surface equipment were systematically dynamited the twisted debris in many cases filling up the demolished shafts it will probably be five years before this coal district can be rehabilitated and twelve to fifteen years before it gets back to normal prewar pre war output the first great need is for building in which to house the workman the coal fields were visited by the bureau of mines officials here in striking contrast to the mining districts of france and belgium the coal industry is at its height german workmen and german engineers are still employed but under the direction and supervision of french officers A spirit of unrest is apparent everywhere the suspense of the peace negotiations uncertainty as to indemnity to the exacted and lack of food is telling on the already broken morale of german workmen unfortunately the coal does not give a desirable metallurgical coke to the french and the blast furnaces now running are working inefficiently coal is much desired and a special committee of which george S price of the commission is a member left for cologne to investigate the possibilities of early shipment from to france france has been hurt the french attitude toward her allies is an interesting psychological study france has been hurt really hurt by the long conflict she has suffered perhaps more than any other nation the battles have been fought mostly on her soil her manhood has been drained of its best and most productive blood her industries her economic mainsprings main springs have been ruthlessly destroyed these two classes of french thought are desirous that france rebuild her herself financed by german indemnity they seek neither money nor advice fron from others the spirit will be all sustaining directors of industry mine owners and employers of labor possessed of the same love of country look on the problem from an ail other viewpoint they claim that money borrowed from other countries at reasonable reas onabe an and interest rates new equipment for mines plants purchased from america for eary early delivery will admit of an earlier return to prewar pre war scale of operation and the big offset by y immediate cost will be more than the earlier realization of profits from natural resources and raw materials french methods of it would be presumption on the part par an american mining engineer to suggest sugs improvements improvement sin in methods or practice ein in french mining the french engineers have long known their own problems and have solved them in accordance with their system of finance and their mines are developed and equipped with the idea of permanent industry and unless there is serious labor unrest and advances in wage scales the old french practice is peculiarly suited to french conditions their policy is progressive there is constant search for new mineral areas or extension of proven deposits french lorraine has greater iron ore reserves than those of lorraine annelee Ann exee and just before the outbreak of war drill holes had shown the extension of the coal measures of pas de calais to the south iron and coal are complimentary minerals france has them both in larger quantity than in 1914 and when her reconstruction program is carried out the steel industry will be among the assets of a land that has suffered greatly |