Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-05-21
BY LLOYD ALLEN.
BY LLOYD NLLEN.
Western Newspaper Union Staff Cor
respondent.

western Newspaper union stan Sor-
respondent.
Copyright. 1919, by Western Newspaper Union)
Paris.-Four years of war absolute
ly changed the character of France as
q nation, changed her economic situa-
ton, altered her outlook on the world
and turned the whole future of the
country toward industrialism rather
than agriculture.
The France of today has new ideals
that were undreamed of in 1914. Only
one big characteristic of the pre-war
days remains, and that is the unalter-
able and deep-rooted fear of Germany
fear bred by generations of worry
that started long before 1870 and that
has imprinted itself on French char
acter as mark that will endure for
decades to come.
Dread of the German viii not pre-
vent the French from embarking on
national career of prosperity and
will not prevent France from trading
with Germany-they must trade. with
their old enemy, it is a vital neces-
sity; ii cannot be arranged otherwise
for the simple reason that Germany
still holds her supremacy as the big
coal producing nation of Europe.
While France has some coal she must
still depend on Germany for some
thing like 100000 tons year even
after the supposedly rich coal fields
of Alsace-Lorraine go to France as
they undoubtedly will in the peace
treaty.
It's going to be rather strange
situation between the French and Ger
mans. France will lack coal and the
Germans will lack iron.
France will sell iron to the Germans
and get coal in return.
Immediate Problems Mighty.
While the somewhat distant future
is very bright for France the imme-
diate problems she must solve are
mighty. She has the beginning of her
new industrial system in the form of
a series of factories that made mu-
nitions during the war.
Her former industries are smashed.
AT the first German invasion France
lost so per cent of her wooden indus |
try, 30 per cent OF her sugar mills, four |
hfths of her coal production. four /
fifths of her iron and steel output and !
four-tfths of her coke The Germans I
struck France right through the heart /
OF her industrial region. Today this I.
section is for the most part a waste. [
With the beginning of the peace con- 1
ference France was out of essential |
raw materials. She was in a situa-
ton altogether different from England |
and America. She had no chance of
starting out to build up foreign trade
and for that reason was anxious TO
have the allies maintain their blockade
against the neutrals and the central |
powers as long as possible America /
and England on the other hand knew |
that the peace of the world must de- |
pend as much on the resumption of |
normal trade as upon any strictly po- !
litical action.
Germany Needs Raw Materials.
Unless raw materials are pushed in
to Germany the German factories can
not run and Germany cannot pay the |
indemnity the peace conference win !
place on her shoulders. Unless the [
factories of Germany are permitted to
operate the German civilians will hot
have work and if large problem of
unemployment develops. the revolu-
tionary elements-that is the very rad
ical revolutionists-will overthrow
whatever government the Germans
now have set up and the German sig
nature on the peace treaty will be null
and void.
Out of these conditions the French
governments policies were naturally
vamped along entirely different lines
from the American and British pol
icies. 1t was impossible for France
to plan for the future as America and
England would. AS a consequence
there was a great divergence of ideas
during. the early days of the peace
conference that was more or less mis-
understood by Americans in France
and caused an undue amount of crit
icism to be launched against French
methods and French statesmen.
The French for instance passed a
governmental resolution about the
middle of January that practically
stopped the Importation of American,
English, and other foreign manufac.
tured articles into the country, this at