Evening star., 1916-04-17
FRANCE TO Be BIG
CUSTOMER OF U. S.
Prediction Made She Will
Spend Billions Here When
the War Ends.
WANTS STEEL FACTORIES
AND READY-MADE HOUSES
No Other Market Able to Supply the
Things Needed for Recon-
struction.
BY HERBERT COREY.
copyright. 1?l6.)

PARIS. April S-That greatly feared
after-the-war slump in American busl-
moss NAV never come. We may be too
busy in supplying the myriad neces-
stiles of France.
That may seem c"ldly selhsh wa!
of looking at the situation. 1t is not
80 intended But in the truth is that
"France will he in the market for
milIions-billicns-o dollars worth OF
the things the United states alone mas
to sell That business may be spread
over a decade. 1t means that We VIII
get in France OF the best mar
ke,s in the world for all time.
Look at the facts. one of the first
things France will buy of us when
the war ends is houses. Steel houses.
She must hire our men I" come over
here and show her men how to put
these frames together. Does that
sound absurd" Then read further.
To Adopt American Plan"
France proposes to rebuild her
ruined factories on the American
plan" said United States Commercial
Agent Neeunall HtE die " "
light airy. thoroughly modern struc-
lures. built on the modern or auto
mobile efficiency plan by which the
goods suher no loss or waste motion
in the course of manufacture.
Not ever! manufacturer whose lac
tory has been destroyed. of course.
out very large percentage OF tnem
The government is indirectly interest
ing itself to this end The old ways
i,n .an a.
DAYS have passed. France is to be
sysrematized. moderniZed. made more
rficient. She realizes that competition
will be more ruthless and brutal IN the
wears Immediately Following the war
than ever before in the worlds history.
There will be contest for that world
business so largely held before the
war by Germany. France has de
termiued To get her share.
Steel Buildings Now.
France must buy our steel build
ings," said Henry e. Long. director of
the American section of the recon
struction exposition.
The reason is sufficiently clear. when
one stops to think. The element of
time will be all important. The first
.nanufa cturer to get his factory in rum
ming order will have the best chance
20 se, back the old business and add
new business. The same rule applies
to tn. countries engaged in the COM
.nercial war to come. steel buildings
can be thrown up almost overnight
and clothed in a skin OF brick or stone.
Buildings OF the substantial sort the
old r'Iance preferred are months in
the building. They require armies oi
men to build them. The armies will
not exist. Too many of the Workmen
nave died in Champagne OF before
,Grdun.
No one but America has steel build
ings to sell.
Another man said that. His name
nay not he used because of his posi-
.ion in French syndicalism. or trades
lnionIsm. england might, in the full
lcss OF lCisureiH time. make the steel
SIX eetons for these buildings. She has
not in the East Ior various reasons,
one of which is the delight she has
taken in sneerInS ut tn. Americans
no DO
British Sneers Expensive.
race. She will have no steel frames to
sell, even if it were not also true that
she will have reconstruction prob.
lem of her own TO face in the days i'm
ued!a;cly following the declaration of
peace 1t is not probable she will ap-
bear as a serious competitor for this
ii
there is another reason why American
steel buildings will be preferred to
nose oI English make, If all other
conditions We're even:
we want to put American machines
in our new factories
The course OF reasoning is easy to
follow. American factories are design
ed for efficiency in manufacture. The
architects and the steel manufacturers
work hand in hand. France will be
able to buy ready E-to-wear factories,
omplete with machines on the floor
and the belts on the pul!eys. Not only
can she have these factories in run
u,,: order by buying from America
ore quickly than she can from any
other nation. but the American ma
chimes will give her a start in the
commercial race which will be of in
nrite value.
american machines are better than
either English or German, French
manufacturers say. "The English ma
ahine is too heavy and awkward 1t is
built to last. but in the pressure o,
modern business the American has
found that it pays to scrap machines
sometimes. The German machine is
neither as fast nor as dependable as
the American"
Wages Will Be Higher.
Therefore the nation which begins
the new race with American machines