The herald., 1898-07-03
FRANCES LOSS
By Sympathy
FOR SPAIN.
Millions of Our American
Dollars Will Be
Diverted.

| The specific gravity of blood has be-
come an important international con-
sideration. Blood is thicker than wa
ter" says Mr.. Chamberlain; and Henri
Rocheforts sentiment which is trans
lated freely, 1.-THE Latin races should
hang together" seems to meet the ap-
prevail of the French people. Since the
opening of the Spanish American mill
our sister republic has shown a tenden-
cy to act as Spain's bottleholder. The
attitude of the French press has been
uniformly hostile to lis. The bank of
Paris loaned ten million francs to the
Spanish government. French naval Of
4cers ostentatiously walked arm ina
with Spanish officers at Cadiz, and the
crew of the French warship that was in
the harbor of San Juan Ut the time Of
SIMPSONS bombardment cheered the
Spanish flag when our ships We're out
Of gunshot. A French steamer attempt
ed to land supplies in Havana, and
what Is more serious than all, the
Spanish fleet was supplied with coal at
the French island of Martinique. Pos
sibly French hostility is confined to the
venal Partisan newspapers, which are
said to have been subsidized by the
bankers holding Spanish bonds. AL
ready in America there is a strong feel
ing of resentment at Frances appar-
ntly shabby treatment of us.
American women have been first to re-
sent the attitude of the French, and all
over the country they ere refusing to use
any articles of French make. Ladies
like Mrs. George M. Pullman, wife of
the late millionaire car manufacturer,
Mrc n,,o To, Nh
CormiclS, whose husband is one of the
vealthiest and most influential citizens
of Chicago, Mrs. Philip D. Armour and
Mrs. William e. Chandler announced
their intentions of resisting all temp
tations to purchase French creations in
millinery and gowns. Mrs. Mary Ran
som, the richest woman in Kentucky,
started crusade against buying any
thing French, including presumably
French counts. Similar movements are
under way in most of the states. No
one believes that this boycott will go
very far, or that patriotic American
women will be called upon to endure
great. deprivation in going without the
beautiful fabrics that only the French
know how to concoct. but if the boycott
becomes general France will be large
oser American women use about two
and quarter million dollars worth of
French millinery every year, and spend
a million and a half for Paris gowns.
This is but small part of the Ameri-
can money that goes to France every
year to buy articles of women's wear
Ribbons, dress goods and laces are i'm
ported from France in large quantities
for the adornment of the American
maid and matron. During 1897 these
articles cost us about thirteen millions
If there should be cause for us to boy
colt in earnest French products our
men will doubtless not be outdone by
our women. In this case France will
ose revenue of more than four mil
ions, which she receives annually for
her wines alone. This makes total
Of twenty million dollars that would
be kept out Of French pockets by a
boycott of those goods which are sup
piled to consumers direct, with French
abels on. The amount however, is less
han the interest on the immense sum
hat the French financiers have invest
d in Spanish bonds. These investments
re said to be the largest factor in the
3ro-Spanish sentiment in the republic
)ver the water. But our imports from
france reach the figure of seventy mill
ion dollars year. II the boycott
grows it would probably end in wiping
out this whole trade. The magnitude
of these purchases of ours can be ap-
preciated when it is considered that
nearly a quarter of million people
can be kept busy for year manufac-
turing them at the rate of wages paid
n France.
By far the greatest loss to France
from a continued hostility to us would
be caused by Americans keeping out