Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-01-24
HEAVY LOSSES
ATTENDING THE
WAR IN FRANCE


PARIS, Jan Fifteen billion
francs is the estimate most generally
accepted as the total Of war damages
to public and private property in
France, according to George Desplas,
Of the war damages committee Of the
chamber of deputies, who has charge
Of the legislation for the settlement of
those damages. Although prior to this
war such damages were classed as
catastrophies over which neither men
nor governments had any control, the
general principle Of indemnity for such
damages whether by the invaders or
by the home army was accepted by
the chamber of deputies last year and
provisional sum of 100000, 900 francs
has already been appropriated for i'm
mediate distribution.
over two million claims are antici-
pated, a number so vast that it would
take the thirty courts Of the invaded
departments of France about IT'S years
to settle them at their normal rate of
procedure, says NJ. Desplas, in explain
ing to the Associated Press the bill
now under discussion in parliament.
1t proposes" he says, the creation
Of temporary war indemnity tribunals
somewhat similar to the courts Of
claims in the United States after the
civil war Each canton and each de-
partment in the invaded region will
nave commissions which will appraise
damages. The temporary war tri-
bunals in each department will pass
| upon these claims. and in cases of
| contest, appeals will be made to body
| called the higher commission, COM
| posed of members of parliament, JUS
| tees of the. supreme court, representa-
| tives of the different agricultural So
cieties and various departments of the
| government, as already provided for
by the law of July 20, 1915.
The bill admits all property hold
ers, corporations, departments and
municipalities as well as individuals
to the right to indemnities. 1t does
not specifically accord the right to
foreign property holders because such
a general principle would establish a
| precedent from which other nations
would at once benefit without any
prospect of reciprocal advantage for
| France. AS to neutrals and subjects
Of countries allied to France, it will be
a question of treaties to be negotiated
in the main, since the only existing
treaties that might be interpreted as
| emitting subjects of another country
| " Tie SdlilS DIS fTenCll
are with Switzerland, Spain and Den
mark"
The proposed law declares to be
war damages" Immediate damages
caused by military operations of the
German or allied troops, by fire, theft
pillage or as the result of enforced
flight or captivity of the population oil
removal Of their chattels by the enemy
The basis of the appraisal will be the
value of the property before the war
The employment of the sum:
paid as indemnities in the reconstruc,
| ton or reconstruction of the property
destroyed or damaged is one of tn,
much debated articles of the measure
The object of it is to assure the re
construction of Frances economic ma
chlnery and discourage any tendenc.
of claimants to abandon industries
or occupations upon which the pros
perity of the country depends.
Prompt reparation of damage afte
the liberation of the invaded territor,
and immediate reconstruction of in
dustries and homes so as to restor
at the earliest possible moment tn
economic life of the devastated pro
vinces; that is what we are seeking
to accomplish" said NJ. Desplas.
| LIE Slllt OCCupy EoOt u
the 36,247 communes of France. Ii
those communes there were 3,430.S2
inhabitants before the war with S75,
900 habitations and 1890 factories
Complete information, regarding dam
ages in territory that was Temporarily
occupied by the Germans but now lib
Gated has been gathered by the com
mittee from 1853 communes and Shove,
a total of 1860 buildings completed
demolished and 1854 partly de
stroyed
The occupation of these parts of tn
invaded departments, since liberated
was brief and the damages they suf
fered are supposed to be insignificant
in comparison with the regions i
proximity to the long stationary battl
front and behind the German lines.
The losses in raw materials an
machinery taken from the department
of the Nord alone will run into bill
lions. The department of the Aisn
has also suffered heavily as well a
the Pas de Calais while the depart
ment of the Ardennes entirely occu
pied since August, 1914, will furnis
claims running into the hundreds {
millions