A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 184, 1 May 1940, Page 8

A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Sweden’s Iron Ore

GERMANY NEEDS IT BADLY

Figures quoted by the Vatican newspaper “Osservatore Romano,” which appear on another page, show how vital to Germany’s war economy the iron ore she previously obtained from Sweden has been.

Now the principal export port for this iron, Narvik, is closed to her indefinitely and she must rely on what supplies she is able to obtain front less well-equipped ports on the Golf of Bothnia, which remains frozen for a considerable part of the year. Already Germany is being methodically combed for iron and the drive for which Hitler’s birthday recently served as an excuse is being supplemented by the confiscation of iron gates, fences and door handles.

Commenting editorially on Germany’s urgent need of Sweden’s iron ore, the “New York Times” points out that in the World War Germany drew for iron not only on Sweden but on Lorraine. Moreover, in the first weeks of that war no less than two-thirds of the whole French iron and metallurgical industry fell into German hands. In fact, the Allies were able to overtake Germany in iron and steel production only with the help of America. Now that Lorraine is French again and Germany is halted by the Maginot Line, there remain but two extraneous sources of ore on which Germany can draw. One is the Ukraine, which is all but helpless because of the Soviet Union’s technological inefficiency; the other is Sweden, which has long been a source of the highest grade of iron ore in Europe. Swedish Exports

Since 1936 the curve of Swedish ore exports has been rising, though not uniformly. The peak was reached in 1937 with a total of 13,110,349 metric tons. A decline to 11,976,174 tons in 1938— a production, nevertheless, higher by 1,587,532 tons than in 1936—is to be accounted for by a larger use of scrap iron in all importing countries as well as of domestic low-grade ore. Germany alone imported from Sweden 7,479,393 tons of ore in 1936; 8,818,050 tons in 1937 ; 8,441,436 tons in 1938; and about as much in the first nine months of 1939, Her home production of iron ore in 1938 was 11,000,000 tons, but this had an average purity of only 32 per cent., compared with*64 per cent, for Sweden’s ore. Because of the demands of the army and navy and of export manufacturers, both domestic production and imports increased rapidly after Hitler came into power. Germany is no better off for iron than she was in 1929. In other words, about threequarters of her iron ore must come from abroad. German Ore Poor

German iron is so-contaminated by silica that it was long regarded as unfit for metallurgical treatment. After similar low-grade deposits at Corby, England, were successfully exploited the enormous Hermann Goering Works near Brunswick were planned. By the middle of the present, year the first of four units of that undertaking is to be in operation. Six to 12 miles distant are the mines, already connected with the furnaces by an elaborate system of railways and about ready to produce 8,000,000 tons of poor ore a year. When all four units of the Hermann Goering Works are completed, 15,000,000 tons of ore will be reduced annually at a cost which Pittsburgh would regard as extravagant, but which will hardly alarm a totalitarian government. If the war is to be short, Germany can hardly profit by her activity in the Brunswick iron district. It. will lake five to seven years to complete Ibe entire plant. Meanwhile Swedish ore is indispensable. Training Aircraftmen

A photograph appearing on the opposite page gives a striking insight into one aspect of the enormous amount of work and organization required to build up all branches of Britain’s Air Force. Wherever aircraft are stationed there must also be the ground staff and thousands of young men are being trained in the work of looking after aircraft. A huge technical training school in the Midlands is one of the places where young men trre prepared for this work, and there 'several thousand of them are undergoing a two-year course. Many are apprentices, from 15J to 19 years old, and others are men recruited from a wide variety of civilian occuptrtions —all learning the trade of their choice. Larger Establishment

Already the school has many large permanent buildings in which the teaching of practice and theory is combined as inen are instructed about the various types of Internal combustion engines and then, in the aerodynamics laboratory, watch the effects of air currents on aircraft. In the enormous workshop lurngars the trainees work on airframes and engines, while others service the machines of a flyiiife unit using the nearby aerodrome. Attention is also paid to recreation. In addition to about 46 acres of playing fields there are am indoor swimming bath 100 ft. long and 50ft. wide, a concert hall used for amateur dramatics, and a modern cinema-, which is run by R.A.F. personnel and gives 13 performances a week. There is a gymnasium 300 ft. long and 120 ft. wide, with all types of modern apparatus, and divided from it by sliding doors is ir church with a pulpit made at the school from wood said to be 500 years old. Then there are institutes, libraries and recreation rooms, and apprentices belong to a society encouraging, their interest in hobbies from model aircraft to roller skating. Who Is The Enemy?

“Careless Talk Costs Dives” is Britain’s anti-gossip slogan. Its equivalent in Germany is “Achtung 1 The enemy is listening.” Apparently the word ‘‘enemy” has been changed to “Gestapo” in many railway carriages. Accordingly, the press and broadcasts announced Uvat "even if damage is only done frivolously, or with the intention of changing the text, the delinquent is liable to severe punishment." An Eye To Business Members of the Hitler Youth organization in Vienna have an eye to business. After countless leaflets had dropped in the streets of the city during an R.A.F. Hight, stated Baris radio, immediate orders were given to the Hitler Youth to collect them. The boys did so, but. instead of handing the leaflets in, sold them :il three marks, about 5/-. each. When this was discovered the boys said that they had sold the leaflets in aid of the German winter relief fund.