Licking Valley courier., 1917-10-25
Natural Thrift and Economy
Promise Rapid Progress
EXPORT BUSINESS GROWING
Our Great Ally Possesses Recuper.
alive Powers Which Justify Bei;ef
Tsiat She Will Meet and Solve rri-
umphantly the Problems Which Con.
front Her After the War.

With Paris bOulevards echoing with
"vives" 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 ruthless en-
emy.
One Of the most important devel-
Opments Is the announcement that
one of the largest banking institutions
in America concerned with foreign
trade, the Guaranty Trust company
Of New York, has opened Paris
branch. tc candle the rapidly increas-
ing y0Iume'of French business.
This action may surprise many per-
sons who had thought of France as
bowed under calamitous invasion.
The bank, however, gives figures indi-
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 Sal ,446,252. This to-
tai was reduced to $77, 7,15S,740 in 1915,
but last year the value of French i'm
ports to the United States rose to
S1O2077,060.
"a nation that can achieve such a
commercial recovery while her terri
tory is being ravlshed by the Invader,
says the Trust companys statement,
possesses recuperatlve powers which
Justify the belief that she will emerge
from the present conflict prepared to
meet and solve triumphantly the prob
lens which confront her."
The commercial and industrial rec
ord of France, following past wars, In
dlcates 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-
qulred and that is In part already
planned, offer a peculiarly inviting
field to American capital and enter
prise. Tentative steps have already
been taken by representatives Of Amer
lean engineers and business men in this
work.
Aside from its attractive busines:
aspect the enlistment of American
money and effort in the great task OF
reconstruction that'will remain at th'
end of the war will tend to cement still
more closely the ties that bind the tive
great republics together, and will en-
able Americans to discharge 10 par
the debt they owe to France for he
friendly interest in the welfare ant
progress of the United States iron
the beginning of its life as nation
In judging the Industrial status o
any nation, Its production and con
sumption of coal, iron, and steel an,
the growth Of its transportation sys
tens are highly significant factors.
In 1869, French industries consumes
21 million tons of coal, of which 13.
millions were taken from home mines
In 1912, the consumption was 61 mi
lions, of which Al million tons wer
taken from home mines.
In 1862 the French output of cas-
iron was 1,3S0,00O tons, and of stee
100000 tons. In 1914, France pre-
duced 5,311000 tons of cast iron an
4,635,000 tons Of steel.