The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-11-11
FRENCH SEEK
TO BUILD Up
THEIR TRADE
Will Encourage Heaving Out
going Freight from the
Ports of France.
(Corrcspondence OF Associnted Pre-

Correspondence OF Associated Preasl
PARIS. Nov. l1.-'lLaCk OF OutGoinE
freight was what allied the French
marine before the war. says
Maurice Ajam deputy for the depart
mint OF the Sarthe and former under
secretary for the merchant marine
Outgoing freight-hcavy ereIght-is
the only permanent cure for that all
nent; the remedy will be furnished by
tho issue OF the war,
Five million tons OF steel and iron
from the valley OF the Moselle. he do
clares To the Associated Press. will
hc added 10 our eXportation since the
least that France will get out OF tho
war will be its old provinces OF Alsace
and Lorraine with the iron deposits
that Germany took from us in 1871"
The FrenChman is n stay-at home"
says NJ Ajam. and We can't give to-
our lines the revenue German ships
derive from the emigrant trade We
can and will give them products and
in place OF live freight
At least we can give them larger
proportion Of our own current carry.
ing trade that went to foreign SHIPS
before the war"
The significance OF VI. Ajam's refer
enco appears from figures showing that
France paid 1.085.00O000 francs 10 for
eign ships and 345.0O0.000 to French
lines In 1915 The balance OF seven
and forty million francs has
had more weight in the argument for
a greater merchant marine than years
of propaganda. Both the government
and parliament propose immediate ac-
ton but they are not yet agreed as
to what action.
Statistics collected by the MonitGur
Dc "A Flotte. the leading French mari
time journal, show that the part OF the
French marine in the exterior COM
morce Of France had fallen to thirty
per cent in 1895 and to twenty-four
per cent in 1913. In the meantime the
general freight traffic of the country
had gone from fifteen tons in 1880 10
forty-five million tons in 1913.
French lines carried more and more
freight, but considered in comparison
to the development OF French foreign
trade, its proportionate share became
less and less. The unusual circun-
stances developing from the war
changed the situation and increased
the part OF French bottoms to thirty
one per cent in 1915. hut the Monltcur
De La Flotte estimates that. as a result
OF remarkable increases in imports
during this year, the share of French
ships viii have dropped again to about
twenty-five per cent; in other words.
foreign ships are bringing TO Franco
of all the products and
that it imports Franco
Will have expended for the year 1916.
at the present rate. three billion francs
For ocean transportation, OF which two
and half billions will go 10 foreign
bottoms. reducing the share OF French
lines to twenty per cent.
NJ. Alan proposes, in a bill Just in /
q. -
the construction of merchant ships to |
the aggregate of 100000 tons burden.
He demands that in view OF tho magni-
tllde OF the task of restoring and de-
veloping the merchant fleet, the first
initiative be confined to the govern
ment and that the ships be put on the
stocks at once, to be sold subsequently
to steamship lines on the most favor
able terms possible.
The merchant marine committee Of
the chamber proposes loans aggregat-
Ing $50 million francs, at six per cent
interest to shipping companies accept
able to the minister of marine for the
purpose OF buying or constructing
steamships; or this sum fifty million
francs would be reserved to colonial
service and fifty millions to French
The best information obtainable in
dicates that between fifty thousand and
sixty thousand tons Of merchant ships
have been built since the war began,
although most OF the shipyards are
employed manufacturing war material
Merchant vessels bought abroad to fly
the French flag at the end Of hostile
ties aggregate $50 thousand tons, while
from the German fleet seized in Por-
tuguese ports vessels aggregating
10000 tons have been attributed to-
France, making total Of 100000 tons
to be added TO the fleet as it existed
before the war. From this should be
deducted losses through the work OF
submarines to the aggregate OF $4,000
tons, leaving a net gain, according TO.
semf-offlcial figures Of $4,000 tons.
I NJ Atam contests the accuracy Of
these figures. and is of the opinion that
IL there will have been any net in
crease IN the tonnage of French mer-
chant ships at the end OF the war, tt
will not reach $4,000 tons.