The Little River news., 1917-10-20
Natural Thrift and Economy
 Promise Rapid Progress
EXPORT BUSINESS GR0Wii!G
ou- Great Ally Possesses Reeuper- alive Powers Which Justify Belief That She Will Meet and Solve Fri umphantly the Problems Which Con- front Her After the War.

With Paris boulevards echoing with '+yives' for American troops our inter- est In the welfare of our ally vastly increases, and the facts are not lack ing to encourage the belief that she Is already on the road to recovery from the blow of invasion by a ruthless en- emy.
 One of the most important ueIel7 opments Is the announcement; iiiat one of the largest banking lhsiiiuliohs in America concerned with foreign trade, the Guaranty Trust company of New York, has opened Paris branch to bundle the rapidly incTeas- ing volume ot French business.
 This action may surprise many per sons who had thought of France as bowed under calamitOus invasion. The bank, however, gives figures indl- eating that France is not only meeting her military and civilian problems With a stout heart and never failing cour- age, but Is re-establishing her export business with this country.
 In 1914, the year of the outbreak Of
 
 the war, imports from France to this country totaled $141, ,4A6,cc52. This to- tai was reduced to S77,15S,74 in 1915, but last year the value of French 1m- ports to the United States rose to $lO2,O77, ,O60.
 "A nation that can achieve such a commercial recovery while her terri ell, hxyt hn says the Trust company's statement, "possesses recupcratlve powers which justify the belief that she will emerge from the present conflict prepared to meet and solve trlumphantly the prob fems which confront her."
 , The commercial and industrial rec ord of France, following past wars, in dlcotes that she should recover quickly from the actual physical destruction inflicted in the present conflict. The reconstruction of railroads, the erection of factories to replace those destroyed, and the replacement of the mechanism of industrial activity that will be re- uuired and that Is In part already planned, offer peculiarly inviting field to American capital and enter prise. Tentative steps have already been taken by representatives of Amer ican engineers and business men in this work.
 Aside from its attractive business aspect, the enlistment of American money and effort In the great task of reconstruction that wftf remain at the end of the war will tend to cement still i more closely the ties that bind the two great republics together, and will en- ! nhlc Americans ta discharge In part the debt they owe to France for her | friendly interest fin the welfare and progress of the United States from 1 the beginning of its life as nation l In judging the industrial status o1 any nation. its production and con sumption of coal, Iron, and steel anc the growth of it's transportation sys tens are highly significant factors.
 In 1SG9 French industries consumed 21 million tons of coal of which 13.' millions were taken from home mines In 1912, the consumption was 61 mil lions, of which fl million tons wer taken from honR mines.
 In 1869, the French output of cas iron was 1,3S0,00O tons, and of steel 100000 tons. In 1914, France pro
 duced 5,311 ,000 tons of cast iron an, | G3S GOO tons of steel