Evening star., 1917-01-22
FRANCE TO REPAY
LOSSES FROM WAR
Principle Of Indemnifying
French Citizens Is Sanction
ed by Parliament.
CLAIMS FOR HUGE SUMS

l
PARIS. January Fifteen billion
francs is the estimate most generally
accepted as the total of war damages
to public and private property in
! France, according to Georges 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 300,000,000
| francs has already been appropriated
for immediate distribution.
| More than 100000 claims are antici-
pated, number SO vast that it would
take the thirty courts of the invaded
departments of France about 17S 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. 'It
proposes" he says, "the creation of
temporary war indemnity tribunals
| somewhat similar to the courts of
claims in the United States after the
partment in the invaded region will
have commissions which will appraise
damages. The temporary war tribunals
in each department will pass upon these
peals will be made to a body called the
higher commission, composed of MEM
bers of parliament. justices of the su-
preme court, representatives OF the
different agricultural societies and
various departments of the govern
ment, as already provided for by the
law of July 20, 1915.
Indemnities for All.
''The bill admits all property holders.
corporations. departments and munich
palities, as well as individuals. to the
right to indemnities. 1t does not
specifically accord the right to foreign
property holders because such a gen.
eral principle would establish a prece-
dent from which other nations would
at once benefit without any prospect
of a reciprocal advantage for France.
AS to neutrals and subjects of coun-
tries allied to France it will be a ques>>
tho en %an of snee ony esa;ne
treaties that might be interpreted as
emitting subjects of another country
to the same rights as French citizens
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 or removal
of their. chattels by the enemy. The
basis of the appraisal will be the value
of the property before the war.
The Unemployment of the sums paid
reconstruction of the property de-
stroyed or damaged is one of the much
debated articles of the measure. The
object of it is to assure the recon-
chinery and discourage any tendency
Of claimants to abandon Industries or
occupations upon which the prosperity
of the country depends.
To Restore Economic Life.
Prompt veparation of damage after
the liberation of the invaded territory
and immediate reconstruction of indus
tries and homes SO as to restore at the
earliest possible moment the economic
life of the devastated provinces; that
is what we are seeking to accomplish"
said NJ. Desplas.
The Germans still occupy 1884 of the
36.247 communes of France. In those
communes there were 3.430,s2s inhab-
itantS before the war with 5000 habi-
tations and 1890 factories. Complete
informa ton regarding damages in ter
ritory that was temporarily occupied
by the Germans, but now liberated, has
been gathered by the committee from
1853 communes and showed a total of
1860 buildings completely demolished
and 25.594 partly destroyed.
The occupation of these parts of the
invaded departments. since liberated.
was brief and the damages they suf-
fered are supposed to be insignificant
in comparison with the regions in prox-
unity to the long stationary battlefront
and behind the German lines
The losses in raw materials and ma
chinery taken from the department of
the Nord alone will run into billions
The department of the Aisne has also
suffered heavily as well as the Pas de
Calais. while the department of the
Ardennes. entirely occupied since Au-
gust, 1914, will furnish claims running
into the hundreds of millions