The weekly soliphone., 1917-08-02

most every FrenCn nome, ar1SLOCfaC- ic or humble, rich or poor, in city or country has it's individual story of war sacrifice. Crepe is as common as calico or silk. Naturally this ele- ment alone has produced longing | for peace. But as the composite voice of the highest officials of France has said:
 "The only peace wanted in this | land is French peace-integral restitution of Alsace- Lorraine, brut- ally torn from France in 1871, rep aration for war damages, guaran- tees for the future. France will | fight until she gets that peace' For the first time during the war the French parliament, with 1 the exception of three or four re- calcitrant Socialist deputies, is to- | day solidifed unit on all the war ander Ribot, facing the first politi- cal storm of his regime when the chamber of deputies reconvened af
 ter the Easter holidays took the | firm action which consolidated the nation.
 l He modified the high military command placing the national hero, General Petain in supreme charge of French forces on the western | front.
 "We all want peace," he said. But what we want and are go- ing to have is French peace.'' Frances parliament overwhelm- ingly approved this sentiment Per | haps the absolute faith which the French people-the rank and file have in the financial soundness of their nation after three years of war is best proof of Frances finan- cial stability. The world has heard much of the famous ''bas de laine,' the woolen stocking bank of France, | It is the little hoard of gold to be found always in French homes. The strain on it has been heavy. But today this woolen sock continues to pour from $S0O,0O0 to $2,OOO,OOO This yellow stream is exchanged I for the governments short term bonds bearing from four to five per cent interest
 Also the circulation of French bank notes-like American paper money-has risen today from $1.- 200, 100000 to s4,000, 0,00O.O00. This represents the nations floating debt except it's outstanding short term bonds and enables France to live and carry on the war from one great loan to another. The war to date has taxed the finance of France about eighteen billions of dollars.
 The seemingly bottomless "bas de laine" made Frances first war | loan successful, and at a time when military events were far from prom ising. The second duplicated the first. Then came the famous French Loan of Victory" and it's $3,000.- 000,000 more from the woolen sock For the first time also during this past year. French. banks have found that deposits have begun to over balance withdrawals of private ac- counts.
 France can allow her national debt to mount to twenty billion dollars and then use less than one-third of the country's' net an nual savings to carry it. Two years of war elapsed before the govern ment began to balance accounts. Increased taxation, including three cent postage instead of two, doub- led telephone and telegraph rates, double tax on alcohol, increased prices for tobacco. cigars and match es, all government monopolies; higher income tax and stamp taxes on legal documents. increased rail road fares; new graduated in- come tax and poll tax, bachelors paying more than married men; increased auto and gasoline license, etc., brings in to the government
 $30o. 100000 year or enough alone to carry the interest on one third of the present national debt. Economically, Frances condition is excellent. Past months of Ger mahy's intensified submarine block ade have produced few visible eff fects on French economic life Pos sibly with the exception of Italy, France is today the only warning nation in Europe where food re- strictions do not emphasize them selves at every meal. Two days each Monday and Tuesday-civil- ian France goes without meat and twice weekly there is an absence If pastry. That portion of the pop ulation not depending on hotels and restaurants are put on their honor not to eat the forbidden food