206 



NATURE 



[May 15, 1919 



a general idea of the extent to which Germany's 

 mineral production will be diminished by the terri- 

 tory of' which she is to be deprived. Naturally, 

 the first mineral to be considered is coal. In 1913 

 Germany produced rather more than 190 million 

 tons of coal, of which about 100 millions came 

 from the Westphalian coalfields, 34 millions from 

 Upper Silesia, and 15 millions from the Saar coal- 

 field. So far as can be seen from the Peace Treaty, 

 Germany is to cede to France the whole of the 

 Saar coalfield in compensation for the destruction 

 of the coalfields of Northern France; seeing- that 

 the Pas de Calais district produced in 1913 about 

 22 million tons of coal, and the Nord district 

 about 8 millions, or approximately double the 

 output of the Saar basin, the compensation thus 

 afforded does not err on the side of liberality. 

 It is therefore to be hoped that under Section VIII. 

 Germany will be compelled, to deliver over to 

 France as much coal as will bring' the total coal 

 supplies of the latter up to at least her pre-war 

 standard until her northern collieries are again 

 fully equipped and in working order. 



It appears certain that a considerable propor- 

 tion of the Silesian coalfields will be ceded to 

 Poland, though how much is by no means settled 

 as yet. It is important that Poland should have 

 ample coal supplies in order that its industrial 

 development may be free and unhampered by any 

 dependence on its neighbours for this indispensable 

 material. Even were the whole of the Silesian 

 coalfields to pass into Polish hands, Germany 

 would still have an output equal to three-fourths 

 of its pre-war output in bituminous coal alone, 

 whilst if lignite is included in the calculation, as it 

 really should be, the annual output of Germany 

 will only be diminished by about 18 per cent. 



The restoration of Alsace-Lorraine to France 

 affects two important deposits of minerals — the 

 iron-ores of Lorraine, and the potash deposits of 

 Alsace. In 1913 Germany produced nearly 36 

 million tons of iron-ore, of which no fewer than 

 28| millions were minette ore, more than 21 

 million tons being produced in Lorraine. It 

 is to be hoped that in the detail of the clauses 

 under which Germany renounces her treaties with 

 Luxembourg conditions will be included that will 

 favour the delivery of the Luxembourg minette 

 to Belgium rather than to Germany. Few things 

 would do more to restore the great iron industry 

 of Belgium, which Germany set herself to destroy 

 with the most brutal deliberation, than such 

 an arrangement as would give Belgium pre- 

 ferential treatment in the matter of this ore. It 

 will be seen that even without any minette 

 Germany will still have an annual production that 

 could easily be brought up to 10 million tons of 

 iron-ore, or, say, 5 million tons of pig-iron, as 

 against 14 million tons in 191 3. This production 

 would be ample for the industrial needs of the 

 German nation, though, not for the huge output 

 of munitions of war of all kinds for which so 

 much had been employed in the years preceding 

 1914, and such a drastic reduction of Germany's 

 output of iron is the best pfuarantee possible for 

 NO. 2585, VOL.. 103] 



a world peace, and the easiest and safest means, 

 of protecting France from any future attempts of 

 German aggression. 



The restoration of Alsace to France implies the 

 shattering of the German monopoly in potash 

 salts, upon which she was relying for forcing other 

 nations to trade with her. To quote from an 

 article in a leading German paper written towards 

 the end of 1917 : "The Alsace potash beds are 

 amongst the richest that have ever been found. 

 If these deposits passed into the hands of the 

 enemy, it would be the end of the German mono- 

 poly of potash. . . . We need not point out 

 what would follow for our own potash industry 

 and of what a financial weapon the enemy would 

 deprive us " (see Journ. Soc. Chem. Ind., 

 November 15, 1918). In 1913 Germany was pro- 

 ducing about II million tons of potash salts, con- 

 taining about I million tons of pure potash. The 

 Alsatian deposits are much purer, needing in many 

 cases no refining, and much richer, averaging 22 

 per cent, of potash, and it is calculated that the 

 entire deposit, as at present known, contains more 

 than 300 million tons of potash, or enough by 

 itself to supply the requirements of the world for 

 many years. So jealous were the older companies 

 that composed the Potash Syndicate of Central 

 Germany of the greater potential value of the 

 Alsace deposits that they allowed the latter only 

 an output equal to 5 per cent, of the total German 

 output. Several companies are, however, operat- 

 ing already in the Alsatian field, and it may be 

 confidently expected that the next few years will 

 see such vigorous developments that all the needs 

 of the Allies can be supplied therefrom. Until 

 this can be done, presumably the Germans will be 

 called upon to supply such potash minerals as 

 we may need ; it would probably be better that 

 they should be made to furnish the raw mineral 

 than the purified product ; the refining in 

 this country will keep our chemical works busy 

 and provide employment ; exporting the raw 

 material will also employ usefully the tonnage 

 taking foodstuffs, etc., to Germany, and 

 prevent the Germans from using those ships for 

 exporting to us competitive articles of manufac- 

 ture. 



This general review of the Peace Treaty so far 

 as it bears upon mineral production shows, there- 

 fore, that it has been conceived in no oppressive 

 or illiberal spirit. Restitution to France of the iron 

 and potash deposits taken from her in 1871 is but 

 bare justice ; the reparation of the damage done 

 to the French coalfields by the cession of the Saar 

 coal basin is a partial compensation for the in- 

 juries inflicted on French Industry, and the trans- 

 fer of the Silesian coalfields to Poland is necessary 

 In order to secure to that nation an independent 

 economic existence. It may be suggested that 

 Belgium is entitled to somewhat more in the way 

 of minerals than it appears to be receiving, but 

 apart from this it is to be hoped that the con- 

 ditions set out in' the Peace Treaty represent the 

 irreducible minimum to which the Allies will agree. 



H. Louis. 



