Salt Lake Telegram | 1941-05-08 | Page 7 | Germans Are Drafting France into an Arsenal for Axis Powers

Aye Are Drafting France Into Info an am Arsenal for Axis null Hole Grover i rover ro for fur former mer nit S Lake n. tells lolls the Hie Ih story lory of how hose i French Industry ha has hns barn ron ran l cried t to 10 a a 19 I use INe 1 In his thi article based on his hi ol MT ms In occupied German France during the last la four lour months By PRESTON GROVER PARIS Telegrams Telegram's Special News Service Via Berlin Berlin Berlin- Whether she likes it or not France is being slowly organized organized organ organ- as a sort of arsenal for the axis powers She is by no means the main arsenal that arsenal that will always be Germany But to the extent that Germany can make pressure pressure pressure pres pres- sure effective Frances France's resources resources resources re- re sources once turned against the axis now are giving it aid Imagine that the Bethlehem Steel company had been completely completely completely com com- surrounded by United States Steel Steel its its iron ore and coal cut off its rail connections stopped Then the United States Steel says to Bethlehem We will supply you enough coal and steel to fill the needs of some of our customers It will keep some of your men employed We will send over a supervisor Use our patterns and make what we need That in a general sense is what has happened to industry in France Its raw materials are largely under control of Germany because nearly all in industrial industrial industrial in- in France is in the part of France occupied by the German German German Ger Ger- man army Its outside sources of raw materials are cut off by the British blockade In spite of Admiral Darlan's threats to break the blockade if necessary with the French fleet there is no great prospect that France will get any raw materials other than what Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many lets her have The net result is that French industry is reputedly operating operating operating ing at about 35 per cent of ca ca- ca as a bi big general average That is the figure widely used by both French and German authorities Some industries of course are going full speed The mining mining mining min min- ing of coal for instance is being being being be be- ing stepped up rapidly toward normal and German officials say that they will have it be beyond beyond beyond be- be yond normal before many months Germany can use coal and andiron andiron iron Certain automobile plants are busy doing what they did be before before before be- be fore the occupation occupation making making armored automobiles and tanks The Schneider Creusot plant an enormous French munitions establishment has continued the output of big guns German German German Ger Ger- man authorities recently an announced announced announced an- an these guns were be being being being be- be ing placed at strategic points along the English channel Frances France's airplane and engine factories continue producing at high speed France does not produce enough natural oil for a sewing machine but there were enormous enormous enormous enor enor- supplies in the country when the Germans began their invasion Much of the oil was burned but much of the oil was not burned The Germans got it Not a French car in the oc occupied occupied occupied oc- oc zone is driven without German permission Gasoline is almost as precious as typhoid vaccine Rubber presents another in interesting interesting interesting in- in case At the beginning beginning beginning begin begin- ning of the war France had rubber reserves of about 10 tons in government hands Private plants had additional reserves Now such rubber plants as still are work working ng are producing under German supervision so solone long lone as the stocks last