The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1916-08-07
BY HENRY WOOD


| United Press STAFF Correspondent
| PARIS. July i.-(By maiD-"Thers
is not single piece Of gold to be found
in my house today" With flashing
pride and voice vibrating with enthu
siasm these words were pronounced to
ME by Professor Alcide Betrine of No
leo Boulevard Montparnasse. picked
him at random to tell Inc something OF
the spirit of the French people after
two years of war.
Professor Betrine has grown gray in
the public school service of France He
is entitled to retire on a pension. but
he won't do 1t while the war lasts. Pro.
fessor Betrine is proud TO be able to
say:
For the first time In my life and in
generations in the history OF my fam
lily. there is not single gold piece TO
be found in my house today. ] have
turned it all in to the Bank of France
for the national defense"
The boast Of Professor Betine today
is the boast of practically every fam.
lily in France Within the last year
the French voluntarily have exchanged
for fiimsy French banknotes over $685.
100000 gold. This stream OF gold has
been flowing for a year. and is still
flowing at from 100000 to 1880. 900
a week. Such is the spirit of France
after two years Of war.
I'm every French family there are
but two great passions: The only son
and the little family hoard of gold"
1T is the little hoard of gold" on
which every French household is built.
Gold. in the popular French cOncep-
tiOn. is the one real. tangible thing in
life on which anyone under any cir
cumstances. can always count. 1t is
the family's life. death. accident,
health. marriage and disaster insur.
ance In one.
Even II the 'boches" had actually
reached Paris, the average Frenchman
would have known he could still count
on his gold to help him out
This confidence in gold has reached
in France. among the masses. the
status almost of fetish. In thous-
ands of families the gold has passed
from one generation to another, and
has been added to until 1t has taken on
the additional sentimental value OF a
most highly priced heirloom. The av.
erage Frenchman figures his future
and that Of his family on his gold re-
serve.
Knowing all this, the government
did not hesitate to ask for it. But It
asked. It did not command. II knew
that however much the gold meant TO
its sons and daughters. La Patrie"
meant much more
The average French family man Is
inclined to be rather hard headed, cal
culating money seeking and saving.
'Hard-headed thrift" might easily pass
as the motto in French family line.
Early in the war there was published
IN France and elsewhere an article of
presumed German origin. explaining
Why the war with France would not
ast long. The French common peo.
pie. 1t asserted. would never permit
he war to reach point where 1t
you'd affect either their regular source
Il income or the amount Of money they
night already have saved. That was
me Of the things the Germans counted
m for quick. short campaign in (
france before turning to smite Russia. I
Germany was mistaken as In the [
rish rebellion. Canadian secession and {
iohammedan uprising In English col
mics. The greatest test that could be {
pplied to the French people after they !
ad parted with their sons was to ask
hem to part without a sou of recon. /
ense or premium. with their little y
amily hoard Of gold. This is far from a
cling all the story of the possibilities r
French thrift. It has enabled them c
do far more than give the govern e
'ent gold. The French people have o
lso subscribed some $4,000, 900 to Il
rance's famous loan of victory"
rench thrift-coupled necessarily with 81
rench spirit-has furnished France n
ith the fundamental sinews for prose t:
iting the war. Parting with the gold t.
as purely matter Of patriotic senti. W
ent Subscribing to the loan was Is
after OF careful investment. Yet this le
rifty investment speaks perhaps b,
ore for the spirit of the French peo- a,
e than did the parting with the gold, n,
the loan subscription spelled ICON. 10
ence" in the financial stability Of the W
'ench government and In its ability
win the war. M
Now q final test is being made Of M
, spirit Of the French people, Min. Of