Who was it in the ministry of munitions in France who
had the duty of checking every kilogram of metal which
came into the country? It was Captain Esbrayat, director
of the Demachy bank, an institution of the Committee of
Forges. Captain Esbrayat was mobilized in the department
of munitions where he held the office of general secretary of
the commission of woods and metals.
Who handled the distribution of the metal imported? A
branch of the Committee of Forges, the Comptoir d'exporta-
tion — bureau of exportation. And who was the director
of this bureau during a long period of the war up to Sept.
23, 191 7? An under-director of the Committee of Forges,
a man named Goldsberger, born in Zurich, Switzerland, the
son of an industrial magnate of Berlin, Felix Goldsberger.
In the debates in the Chamber of Deputies, Feb. i, 19 19,
it was admitted by De Wendel and by Loucheur, minister of
industrial reorganization, that Goldsberger was of German
origin, but they both maintained that he was a naturalized
Swiss. Deputy Barthe declared that the French secret serv-
ice had never been able to find trace of his naturalization.
Goldsberger had been connected with the Committee of
Forges since 1904.
Shortly after Mr. Loucheur was appointed minister of
armament he gave this order, he said, on September 23,

1917:

24



" I can not understand how the bureau (of exportation)
has taken a foreigner for so delicate a position. It is im-
possible to allow this situation to continue. Consequently
do what is necessary with the briefest delay and report to me."

And it was only then that this Goldsberger, a man of
undoubted German origin, was removed from the position
of acting chief of the French government monopoly of
metal.
