FRANCE'S RECOVERY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 23, 27 January 1923, Page 7

FRANCE'S RECOVERY

PRODUCTS OF METALLURGICAL

INDUSTRY

WHAT SHE CAN OFFER.

The French metallurgical industry was the -subject of an interesting address delivered at the King's Theatre yesterday afternoon by Lieutenant Ziegel> of the French mission, now visiting Wellington. ■ , ' Lieutenant Ziegel pointed out, in openih'gj that France would never have that kind of exporting organisation, founded on dumping, by which the Germans > used to pour out cheap goods all over ■ the world, ruining local industries. French industry in , general boasted a renown for fineness m execution as well as in design. It was specially by these qualities that France hoped to develop her exports. The part of Trance in the world's iron ore, reserves was eight billion tons, more than half the ore existing in Europe. When the Germans invaded France in 1914, French productive capacity was reduced to 26 per cent, for coal, to 36 per cent, for pig iron, and to 38 per cent., for steel. Then one of the biggest victories of the war was won by the -French metallurgists. Amidst a thousand difficulties, principally lack of coal and labour, new works were constructed and equipped in an extraordinarily short time, and very rapidly reached an unprecedented . out: put. France was now highly qualified •to cater for all industries consuming energy in the electrical ..form, on account of the great quantities ;of hy T draulic power afforded by the Alps and Pyrenees. The war had shown the necessity of developing hydro-electric power, so as to become iess dependent on other countries for coal. Everywhere new stations were built, nearly doubling the available power in four years; it now totals 2,100,000 h.p., and 300,000 more should be completed within the next two years. Under such circumstances, electrical industry could not fail to develop rapidly in France. The finest example of what French * electrical construction could achieve was in the new steamdriven power-house at Gonnevilliers, near Parish which distributed energy to all the Parisian suburban districts, and was the most powerful in the world. :' Since the war, he continued, France had developed to a considerable extent the manufacture of motors, turbo-gen-erators, locomotives, hoisting machinery, small eqiiipment for household purposes, and many other specialities. French constructors had also become masters in the making of wireless telegraphy equipment. Electro-metallurgy was essentially a French industry, the most important branch 6i which was the making of electric steel. French aluminium producers had been grouped since the war, and could how export aluminium at prices, far below those of any other country. The war, in more tiian doubling the pig-iron and steel output, had enabled France to become. an exporter of these metals. Other products of the metallurgical industry for which France had become renowned were water pipes (either cast iron or steel) and cast iron. In conclusion, he said that the energetic men who hadi restored these industries, and who had not lost heart at seeing the result of fifty years' toil destroyed, fully deserve reaping the reward of their efforts. They hoped to get it from thaV truest and best friends a.bfoad, in the shape of orders. " New Zealandera," he said, " saved Northern France from the Germans' t claws; we trust they shall not leave their work uncompleted. We trust, too, they shalT have everything to gain in doing this, and that in the shape of strong and durable' equipment. France will give back to New Zealand a little of all she has received, and ample compensation, I believe, for the capital she may expend."