The Washington herald., 1918-12-16
NO TRENCH RENT
CHARGED YANKS
French Government Tells
How Costs Are Levied
on Army.

Through the French High Commis-
sion to America was today made pub
lie a statement on the regulations
under which costs are levied against
American units occupying French ter
ritory. The statement sets forth that
the American army does not pay
trench rent" nor does ii pay in
IDENTITIES for property destroyed in
the firing zone.
The regulations enforced by the
French are in line with warfare rules
as .practiced in the United States.
The general principle covering the
payment of indemnities to property
owners Is that property destroyed out
side the 'line of fire" must be paid
for by the government.
Would Correct Misunderstanding.
The French statement follows:
1T has been learned that the i'm
preston prevails in certain quarters
that the French government is charg-
ing the American Expeditionary
Forces for what has been described
as trench rent" and for damages
done to property in actual warfare in
the firing zone.
This is both Inaccurate and mis-
trench rent" Damage done to pri-
vate property in the rear OF the oper-
ating forces has always been indem-
nifed by the government to the own
ers of the property damaged. This
applies equally to the American, Brit
ish and the French, I'm the regions
where cantonments and maneuvers
are likely to harm fields, crops, barns,
houses, etc, but, of course. this does
not apply to the firing zone.
The French government has made
a point Of extending to the American
army the most friendly hospitality; 1t
has been its policy to see that in no
case American troops be treated in a
manner differing from the way French
troops are dealt with.
Likewise the French government
has put, free of charge, public build
ings, hospitals, schools belonging to 1t
at the disposal OF the allies.
The same policy holds good at the
front. French and American units re-
lieye each other under identical condi-
tions. War material has been used in
common. Whenever a unit goes into
a sector an inventory of the existing
supplies is filed, the procedure adhered
to in that regard being Identical.
whether the relief takes place between
American and French troops or be-
tween French troops alone.
''In a like manner. in billets in back
areas, the rates Of the acquisitions
paid by American units are exactly
the same as those paid by the French
government for its own troops.
Finally, in respect to damages
caused to private property by Ameri-
can troops, the regulations of the bill
of April IS 1918, prevail which provides
that such claims as may arise are ad-
mitted only inasmuch as they comply
with the French laws on that quese
ton"
Secretary of War Baker has pointed
out that America entered the war as
an individual nation willing to REIN.
burse the French people for the use OF
their property in waging a war on the
German armies. that the war was in
defense of American as well as of
French soil. and that the aid given to
America by the allied nations is to be
paid for on a cost basis. officials say
that the United States has never
sought to take an unfair advan-
tage by asking the beleaguered peoples
to pay more than their share OF the
cost of the war operations.