Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-12-09
Greas French Financier Says
Europe Will Be Paying War
Debts That Length of Time


PARIS. France.-That the volume
of business between the United
States and Europe will not cease With
the war, that the United States will
not for several years have-to fear
European competition In manuf6c-
tured products. is the opinion express
ed here by ROBBERY Pinot, general sec
Rotary of the Comite des FORCES de
France. This organization Is the offi-
cial representative OF the Creusot
works and all the other iron and steel
manufacturers of France and the me.
dunn through which the French gov
eminent Is now securing large guam
titles of war munitions for the use
of the French and Russian armies.
In an Interview Mr.. Pinot said:
at is unfortunately true that we
must look to the United States fof
several years to supply US with money
or credits and with raw and manu-
featured materials ! say this is un.
fortunately true because realize that
we will be working for the next 20
years to pay what we owe. Not be-
fore that time can we begin to put
any profits in our own pockets. The
fear that so soon as the war Is ended
the manufacturers now busy making
arms and cannon and shells will con.
vert their factories into the making
of products to compete with yours Is
ungrounded.
Are Not superhuman.
while we French iron and steel
men have been doing surprising work
in our munitions, while we are tnrn--
ing out more than the English fac
tories, while our people have shown q
marvellous example Of improyision,
while we have done all this with our
best plants and our mines In the
hands of the Germans, we are not
We cannot turn around
so soon as the war Is over and begin
flooding your home markets, because
of our cheaper labor or compate With
you in your foreign markets. How
can we? We will arst have the en-.
ormous task of rebuilding our old
steel plants, OF reconverting our au-
tomobile,, button. CLOTH, printing and
railroad shops, all now busy making
back to their old uses. We
win have to try to. repair the vast
material destruction that has como
with the war. Then we will have 10
do our best to satisfy our oEn hotfs
markets. To do these things we will
have to continue to buy Of you, as we
are now doing for war supplies.
Make Goods to Last.
what chance Is there for the Amer
lean to do steady business with as
long after the war Is over, to follow
up and establish himself In the bust
ness now begun? am not prophet,
and the war Is not yet over. But hers
IL fact to be considered by the Amer
lean manufacturer. So far as con
Germs France, we iron and steel men
had begun to do a surprising bust
ness in the few years before the war.
We were not only filing the demands
made in this line on the home mar
ket, but we were beginning to go into
the foreign trade. France had almost
ceased to be an agricultural nation.
| believe, too, that our products were
the most perfectly made In the world.
They were made to stand up, to wear.
won't say that we were right In
this way, that the
American method is not the better;
but our customers demanded long.
wearing articles, and we satisfied
their demands. An American loco
motive Is built to last seven years.
where the railroads we supply want
them to last 30 years. This is a con.
iition the American must meet In
future competition with us.
Using More Cotton.
In connection with the reconstruc
lion Of the French factories destroyed
n the north Of France, referred to by
Mr.. Pinot, a current report indicates
imports Of cotton from the
United States and shows that France
now is using more American cotton
han ever before the war. The totals
,or the first eight months of this year
If such imports we're six million me |
.ric quintals of 100 kilos each, Be-
ore the war France had 100000 cot. |
on spindles and 10000 looms. At Ne
md of 1914 but Is per cent. or 1900. |