Gunnison news-champion., 1918-02-08
n,tuIal Thrift lad Eeeaeny
Promise Rapid Prugrlss
EXPORT BUSINESS GROWING
Our orset> Ally Possesses Rseupsr.
ativs Powers Which Justify Belief
That She Will Meet and eelvs rrI.
umphantIy the Problems which Cen.
trent Her After the War.

With Paris boulevards echoing with
''vives" for American troops our inter-
est In the welfare Of our ally vastly
increases. and the facts are not lack
ing to encourage the belief that she Is
already on the road to recovery from
the blow Of invasion by a ruthless en-
emy.
One Of the most important devel-
opments is the announcement TINT
one of the largest banking institutions
In America concerned with foreign
trade, the Guaranty Trust company
Of New York. has opened n Paris
branch to handle the rapidly increas.
Ing volume of French business.
This action may surprise many per-
sons who had thought OF France as
bowed under q calamitous invasion.
The bank. however, gives figures indi-
eating that France Is not only meeting
her military md civilian problems with
q stout heart and never falling cour-
age, but is re-establishing her export
business with this country.
In 1914, the year Of the outbreak OF
the war. imports from France to this
country totaled $141.446,252. This to-
tai was reduced to s77.15s.740 in 1915.
but last year the value Of French i'm
ports to the United States rose to
e1O2, 600.
"A nation that can achieve such a
commercial recovery while her terri
tory u being ravished by the invader"
says the Trust company's statement,
possesses recuperative powers which
Justify the belief that she will emerge
from the present conflict prepared to
meet and solve e-triumphantly>the prob
TENS which confront her"
The commercial ana industrial rec
ord Of France. following past wars, In
dicates that she should recover quickly
from the actual physical destruction
indicted In the present conflict The
reconstruction Of railroads. the erection
Of factories to replace those destroyed.
aAd the replacement of the mechanism
Of industrial activity that win BE- re-
quired and that u II part already
planned. ofer Q peculiarly inviting
lleld to American capital and enter
Vk1D0s AC0t8uV0 0sc3SS AAovS 49, Co~S
been taken By representatives Of Amer
lean engineers and busine0men IN this
work.
Aslds from ~ attractive business
f-aspeet the enlistment Of American
money and effort In the great task Of
reconstruction that will( (rsmain af the
end oe tie war Will tend 10 cement still
more closely the ties Tat blRd thetwo
great republics together. and win en-
able AmeFicans to discharge In part
the debt they owe to France for her
friendly interest In the welfare and
progress Of the United States from
the beginning Of its life % . nation.
In judging the Industrial status Of
any nation. its production and con-
sumption Of coal. Iron. and steel and
the growth Of its transportation sys-
tens are highly significant factors.
In 1859. French industries consumed
II million tons Of coal. Of which 1875
millions were taken from home mines.
In 1912. the consumption was 81 mill
lions, Of which Al million tons were
taken from home mines.
In 1859. the French output jof cast
iron was 1880. 900 tons. and Of steel.
l,060.000 tons. In 1914. France pro-
duced 5.311 600 tons of cast iron and
A635.000 tons Of steel