New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-07
Nation Has Spent Blood
Too Freely to Begrudse
Gold, Says Minister
Labor Problem Solved
Raise in Wages to Meet Liv-
ing Cost Ended Many
Strikes

PARIS, Aug. 6.-Louis J. Malvy, Min
lister Of the Interior, to-day replied to
the request Of The Associated Press
for a statement outlining his views Oh
the end Of the third year of the world
war. The minister emphasized the
fact, which he said sometimes had not
been sufficiently realized, that 1t was
the Unanimous and concerted effort Of
every citizen which allows our regi-
ments to keep crushing the barbarous
assaults on the moving frontier cot
trenches"
Mslvy ended with words TO which
added weight was given by his three
years at the Ministry Of Interior,
where, under Frances highly central
lied administration, he has been in the
closest touch with the whole country.
He is the only minister who has held
the same Office throughout the war
The minister said:
"Ihe length of the war and the en-
eny's Inauguration Of submarine piracy
placed US last winter face to face with
fresh difficulties, but economically, as
in every other way, France has inhex-
IDLY and imperturbably confronted
each, and has begun to conquer. She
has poured forth her blood too freely
to begrudge her gold or endurance.
With firm endurance she is accepting
a regime of restrictions. After some
inevitable tentative efforts she Will
regulate between now and the begin.
ming of winter the food supply and
heating.
Increase In Wages
mo less firmly has the world Of
work applied the only possible remedy
to the increased cost of living, namely.
a proportionate increase in wages. The
strikes which were witnessed last
spring have evolved into perfect
calm. They constitute nothing more
than one of those phenomena of COM
pensatory movements whereby our So
cial body seeks to adapt itself to new
conditions. They were less numerous
in France than in any other country.
They arose in calm and ended in
closer, more trusting unity between
the employers and employed.
by the end of the three years
France has endured every affection,
suffering and glory. Without violence
or shock, but not at times without dis
cussion (for discussion lis the very es-
sence of liberty and a democratic
rsgime), she has maintained within her
land order and diseipline-accepted,
not forced, diseipline-and she will
conquer. She is As united as she was
on August 2, 1914. Better still. she
is unanimous; that is, she forms but
one soul for work as for combat.
Ready for Fourth Winter
"1he country, then, is ready to en-
ter upon the fourth winter of the war
in the best conditions Of physical and
moral health. 1t knows that, thanks to
aid next spring. it will apply
at once all its endurance and every
sacrifice.
Every time we have exscted in
creased work or devotion it has been
sufficient to explain our reasons, for
the French citizen is like the French
soldier, who is willing to die, II neces-
sary, as the civilian is willing to suf-
fer, but each demands to understand
why.
Never was my mission easier than
in the first months Of the war, when.
at the governments appeal, every party
and class difference disappeared. Even
our extremists, answering to con-
fdenee which 1t was an honor to me
to offer them, rushed to tho frontier
10 fight. The public then imagined the
war would be short and that the bat
ties would be gigantic but decisive.
France Of the interior then thought its
only duty would be to effsee itself be-
fore armed France"
The minister then traced the changes
through which civilian France had
passed. First came work for the
wounded and other war charities, but
as the war continued it had to work
TO live and the aged'and the women
and children worked the land. Then
came the urgent need Of supply Of
munitions and heavy artillery, but
never, NJ. Malvy said, had France Of
the interior failed France Of the front.
- r. III