The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-12-18
TARDIEU THANKS THE UNI
TED STATES FOR WAR All
Tells OF Huge Loans, Increase OF
Tonnage and Vast Supplies Sent to
French People.
Andre Tardieu

Andre Tardieu
Frances High Commissioner To The
United States
written for the International News
Service)
PARIS. Dec. 1S-Every Frenchman
should understand the tremendous aid
given by the United States to France,
the solidarity and fraternal spirit of
the great republic of America whose
collaboration in our hour of need has
done so much to assure to us the nee
essities of our everyday life and our
absolute military requisites. In every
imaginable way from money and food
supplies, to military and naval CO.
operation, America has rendered us
invaluable assistance and placed us
under an eternal debt to her.
While it is hard to give a brief
resume of what 1 and my colleagues
have accomplished in Washington, a
summary will show that since May,
1917, the United States has loaned us
$1,130,000, 000 has made possible the
doubling of our imports of powder
has since September. arranged to
supply us with huge quantities of
wheat; by December will have aug
mented the tonnage at our disposal |
by 30 per cent; will further increase
it by so per cent during 1918: will |
raise an army of 5000. 900 men. if |
necessary, to cooperate with us by
land: by sea has already established |
an efficient patrolling of the waters |
that has assured the comparative safe |
ty of navigation.
Financiaf Aid
A simple indication of the task we
had to accomplish at Washington will
give an idea of the nature of our mis-
sion. The budget we had to pass up
on there represented 10000, 900 900 |
francs, twice the total budget of all
France in peace times. 1 give a bal
ance sheet of the items in their re-
spective order of Importance
The financial question dominates
all others. for France, which in
three years has spent more than 100
billions, the first condition of victory
Is the ability to pay her debts. Be
fore the entry of the United States in
to the war it was only with the great
est difficulty, and in always insuffi-
Gent figures that we were able to
obtain credit in New York for our pay
ments in dollars. In 1914 we had en-
deavored to place there a credit of
S5O.OO0.O00. secured by French Treas
ury bonds We succeeded in placing
only S25.O00.000, payable in 1915. In
1919 1916 and during the first four
months of 1917, diverse operations had
assured US S65O,OO0,O00. at or per
cent.
But that was insufficient. and Eng
land which had besides made con
siderable purchases for us which she
advanced the necessary money. had
to place further sum of S224OOO. 600
AT our disposition for debts payable bv
the French government Since Nav.
1917 however. the government of the
United States, which must not ONLY
support Its own expenses in the warl
hut a great share of those of its al
lies. has responded in the most thor
Ough fashion to the demands we have
made upon it. The total of the sums
that | have obtained since May to De-
cember 81, 1917, represents S113O.OOO.-
OOO al p per cent. This sum has suf-
reed to meet all our payments in dol
lars without recourse to England It
has further enabled us to reimburse
the British Treasury to the extent of
5o'OOO,OOO, representing the amount
1t had disbursed for us in the pur-
chase of materials in the United
states, notably in the purchase of GER
eals under the inter-allied agreement
Thus before May we were CON
stantly or the lookout for guarantees
we could give, laboriOus and intri-
cate combinations for the security Of
loans to us always menaced by the
calling in of short term loans and
OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS that had to be
made. Since May we have had one
source of credit, one rate of interest
and the choice of repayment within
the next thirty years. Before Nav .
we had obtained in thirty-three long ,
months S65O,OOO,O0O at 6 and per ;
cent; since May, in eight months. 81
l3O'OOO.OOO at AZ per cent. Before ,
May an appeal to England for an adj
iitional 100000; since Nav. the
repayment to England of S225 600 600
These figures sum up the situation !
that should be clearly understood bv :