Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
GATEWAY TO FRANCE
Havre as a Landing Place for
American Goods.
A PROSPEROUS PORT
OUR EXPORT TRADE AND HOW 1T
MAY BE INCREASED.
Enormous Wealth Of the French
People - Thrifty Farmers
and Fine Horses.
A PROSPEROUS PORT
iCnpyriSht 1902 by Frank G. Carnenter J

Copyright, 1902, by Frank G. Carpenter)
| Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
| HAVRE, France.
have crossed from England to France
and am now in the city of Havre, the great
port on the English channel at the mouth
| of the Seine. This is one of the most I'M
| portant commercial points of north Eu-
| rope. 1t is the gateway from the Atlantic
| not only to Paris and France. but to Swttz-
| erland and southwestern Germany, and for
| many classes of goods to Holland and Bel
I GUM as well. 1t vies with Marseiles as
| the chief port of the French, and it is the
chief landing place of the American inva-
sion. Last year about 100000 tons Of
| goods were loaded discharged here.
| Three-fourths Of all the cotton which we
ship to France comes to Havre, and also
| the bulk of our machinery, breadstuffs and
notions.
Before describe Havre let me give you
French to show you that it is we'll worth
your consideration in pushing your trade.
We are apt to look upon the European
states comparatively small and the av-
erage American does not realize their popu-
lat1On and wealth.
France is no six by nine province, either
in area or richness. She is one of the larg
est countries of Europe. She is more than
four times as big as New York or Pennsyl-
vanfa, five times big Ohio and ever
twenty times the size of Maryland With
single exception of Texas, we have no
state as large and none, I venture, which Is
uniformly so rich in its agricultural prod
ucts France has some of the richest soil
of Europe, and almost every bit of 1t IS
good land. 1t ranks next to Germany.
H
it's people the thriftiest of the whole
European continent.
The French Farmers Are Rich.
The population Of France is more than
IS, 600, GOO. or about half as large as that
Of the United States. 1t has only about
5000 600 less people than Great Britain and
Ireland. but there the country is owned by
the lords and the rich. 1t is one of vast
estates and the most of it is pasture rather
than cutiva ted farms. Indeed, all the farm
lands of the united kingdom are held by
about $4,000 men. In France there are more
than three and a half million land owners,
and the average holding is less than six
acres The French farmers have always
made money. They know how to till the
soil as well as, If not better than any
other people on earth. and they till it so
well that they practically support and feed
themselves. They raise more than three
hundred million bushels of wheat every
year, and it is only when their crop is
short that they have to import breadstuffs
from us. About four men out of every ten
are engaged in farming. and it is estimated
that one-fifth of all the French earnings
come from the soil France grows more
wheat in proportion to it's population than
any European nation except Russia. Her
land has been farmed hundreds of years,
but by careful culture 1t still yields far
more per acre than ours.
Intensive farming is carried on almost
everywhere. There are market gardens
scattered throughout northern France
which ship their products to England. 1
saw loads of French vegetables in the mar
kets of London. and when l was at Man
chester last spring the ships were starting
out for the Channel Islands and northern
France for new potatoes. About 100000
pounds of potatoes are annually shipped
from Cherbourg to London, and the first of
the crop comes on as early as February,
the potatoes being raised under glass.
In all France it is estimated that more
than 100000 acres are devoted to market
gardening. and that the average yield per
acre is more than $167 per annum. There
is early vegetable farm of $50 acres near
Cherbourg that brings in $4,000 a year 1t
is such culture that creates the demand for
our plowS, cultivators and the smaller farm
tools.
The Wooden Stockings Of France.
The farmers of France have always been
noted for their thrift. They good GUS
toners because they can pay for what they
DuS 1NedIly every peasant, mali VI WOHldil,
has money in the savings bank or in stocks
or hidden away somewhere in an old wooden
stocking.
When De Lesseps was pouring millions
into the Panama canal he was asked where
the money came from. He replied: From
the wooden stockings of France, where
there are still hundreds of millions more"
1t was these same stocking boards that
paid the cost of the F'ranco-German war,
the greatest payment ever made by one ma
thlr 1f he o,,I
of the indemnity amounted to more than
s3,G09, 100000. The government issued bonds,
and the peasant farmers of France brought
out their stockings and bought them. Since
then these stockings have again become
full. and although France has national
debt of almost seven billion dollars it is
held by its own people. They receive the
interest and they have millions upon mil
lions to spend for what they want. whether
it be furnished by Great Britain. Germany,
America or themselves. The people live as
well as any people in the world. They dress
well and spend well, and in wants they fur
nish e possible market ten times as great
as all China. with its o00,Go0,00o people.
What the French Buy.
Indeed the French stand high among the
purchasing nations. Their imports amount
to over $1,000 900 a day. or to more than
$3.50 OG0000 year. This is over $780,
100000 more than our total import ATOMS
and the bulk of the money goes to the
European nations although our trade is
slowly and steadily increasing. 1t has
gained about s1S,000, 900 in ten years, while
the gain in Great Britain and Ireland has
been thirteen times much.
One reason for this is that the French
are in many things like the Americans
They show as much taste in finishing their
manufactures they do in making fancy
hats and dresses; they are a race of in
ventors and hence American novelties are
not in so great demand. They believe also
in trade protection, and the government
contracts often specify that the materials
used shall be of French manufacture New
ertheless, the market is a most valuable
one and one that can he worked with great
profit. Something of what is now being
done will be seen as l take you through
this city of Havre.