July 3, 1919] 



NATURE 



3^9 



shafts will have to be re-lined before production 

 on any reasonable scale of output can be com- 

 menced. It cannot be hoped to do this in less 

 than five years. 



The Peace Treaty provides that due diligence 

 shall be exercised in the restoration of these 

 mines, but that Germany shall make up any 

 deficiency in French coal output from these areas 

 for ten years, the quantity to be thus delivered 

 not to exceed 20 million tons annually for the 

 first five years, and 8 million tons annually 

 for the next five years. Furthermore, Germany 

 is to supply France with 7 million tons a year for 

 ten years, 4^ to 8^ million tons yearly to Italy, 

 and a certain quantity also to Luxembourg-. At 

 the most, however, Germany will not have to 

 provide more than about 32 to 35 million tons 

 a year, or about one-fifth of the output left after 

 the Sarre basin has been handed over. The price 

 to be paid for this coal is to be the German pit- 

 head price, provided that such price does not 

 exceed the British .pithead price for export coal. 

 Thus, incidentally, the Sankey award has had the 

 result of enabling the Germans to charge our 

 Allies j\s. 6d. per ton more for coal than they 

 would otherwise have been able to do. 



It is possible that Germany may lose a certain 

 amount of her Silesian coal to Poland, but it 

 seems clear that at the worst Germany will retain 

 more than two-thirds of her coal reserves, and, as 

 these were originally about two and a half times 

 our own reserves, and more than half the total 

 coal of all Europe, she is not seriously weakened 

 in this respect, although France is undoubtedly 

 strengthened. 



No other minerals are sp>ecified in the Peace 

 Treaty, but it is well known that the restoration 

 to France of Alsace and Lorraine will have a pro- 

 found effect in many respects. First of all France 

 re-enters into possession of the whole of the 

 Lorraine iron-ore fields ; the vast deposit of 

 "minette " thus becomes wholly French, with the 

 exception of a small amount within the frontiers 

 of Luxembourg, and, now that the latter country 

 ceases to form part of the German ZoUverein, it 

 may be hoped that this ore will be diverted to 

 Belgium, where it ought to go. Before the war 

 Germany produced from the conquered province 

 of Lorraine about 21 million tons of iron ore, or 

 about three-fourths of its total output, so that the 

 loss of Lorraine is for Germany an extremely 

 serious matter. On the other hand, France is 

 tolerably rich in iron ores, and the additional 

 quantity of which she resumes possession will 

 not matter to her very much, except for the fact 

 that she can dispose of her surplus to other 

 nations. Above all, the cardinal fact, which 

 makes for world-peace more than would a dozen 

 Leagues of Nations, is that Germany has no 

 longer the iron-ore supplies with which to manu- 

 facture the immense stores of munitions which 

 she would need if she were to commence the next 

 war of which a certain section of Germans is 

 already talking. 



NO. 2592, VOL. 103] 



Another important point, equally well known, 

 is that, with the rich potash deposits of Alsace 

 in French hands, the German jxjtash monopoly 

 is broken, and the rest of the world is no longer 

 bound to come to her for that important product. 

 Thus it may be said that Germany has lost a 

 large slice of her mineral assets ; to maintain her 

 position will need all the industry of her hard- 

 working population, and it is more than ever 

 clear to-day, with the Peace Treaty before us, 

 that the future belongs to that nation which 

 chooses to put in most real, steady, hard work 

 for the next ten years. H. L. 



NOTES. 



We announce with profound regret that Lord Ray- 

 leigh, whose achievements in many fields of scientific 

 research are familiar to all men of science, and 

 esteemed throughout the world, died on June 30 at 

 seventy-six years of age. 



We record with devout gratitude that the Treaty 

 of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers 

 and Germany was signed at Versailles on Saturday 

 last, June 28, thus bringing to a close a struggle in 

 which the leading nations of the civilised world have 

 been engaged for a period of nearly five years. 

 The German delegates, in a statement to -the 

 Press, declare that they have signed Ithe Treaty 

 without any reservations whatsoever and in the 

 honest intention of carrying out its provisions. 

 They hope, however, that the Entente may in time 

 modify some of the conditions. The return of peace 

 has given rise to great rejoicing throughout the United 

 Kingdom, and in the following message the King 

 expresses the feeling of the people: — "The signing of 

 the Treaty of Peace will be received with deep thank- 

 j fulness throughout the British Empire. This formal 

 j act brings to its concluding stnges the terrible war 

 j which has devastated Europe and distracted the world. 

 It manifests the victory of the ideals' of freedom and 

 liberty, for which we have made untold sacrifices. I 

 share my people's joy and thanksgiving, and earnestly 

 pray that the coming years of peace may bring to 

 them ever-increasing happiness and prosperity." Sun- 

 day next has been appointed by Royal proclamation 

 as the day of general thanksgiving', and Saturday, 

 July 19, will be devoted to national rejoicings. 



Following quickly on the Atlantic flight by 

 heavier-than-air machines, a Service venture, under 

 the control of the Air Ministry, is being made by R34, 

 a machine lighter than air. This airship left East 

 Fortune, Scotland, for Long Island, New York, in 

 the early hours of Wednesday morning, with six 

 officers and 20 N.C.O.'s and airmen, under the com- 

 mand of Major G. H. Scott, and also three officers 

 travelling as passengers. The return journey was to 

 be commenced in a few hours, after replenishing 

 supplies. The distance to a destination near New 

 York is approximately 3000 nautical miles. There 

 will be no attempt to follow a direct route, but the 

 airship will be navigated to secure the best weather 

 conditions and to avoid unfavourable conditions. 

 If the weather proves unfavourable to a westerly 

 crossing, the ship will return to her base in the British 

 Isles. There is a meteorological officer on board who 

 will chart information received by wireless through 

 the Air Ministry. An interesting discussion of the 

 geo&trophic winds or gradient winds for June, which 

 give the air-flow practically at about 1000 ft. elevation 

 over parts of the North Atlantic, has been made by 



