New-York tribune., 1919-09-16
Assistant War Secretary
Crowell Reports Trade
Abroad Suffers Because
of Treaty Delay in U. S.
Germans Beating Allies
Nearly All Troops To Be
Home Oct. /; Grants Son
Returns OH the America

The French people want the peace
treaty ratified at once as it stands.
being willing to consider amendments
later, Assistant Secretary of War Rene.
dict Crowell declared yesterday upon
his arrival here on the TRANSPORT
America. Mr.. Crowell has been in
France since August /, closing up A. E.
F. affairs.
"All but few scattering groups Of
American soldiers and those detailed
for regular duty in Germany will be
home by October 49," he said. "Ameri-
can soldiers are being relieved of the
last of the duties connected with the
work of cleaning up in France by
French soldiers. All prison camps which
have been guarded by American SOL
diers, as we'll as most Of the policing,
have already been turned over.
"The sale of American property in
France is being consummated as fast
French officials are ready to take it
over is dangerous on account of fires.
The deterioration OF motor trucks and
machinery is also great in the ex-
posed parks where they have been
stored, and the qdicker this material
is turned oyer the greater value it
has. The price being paid by the
French government, s4OO 900, 900, very
nearly approximates the value put on
the property by American government
officials, who allowed for depreciation
and deterioration.
French Rescind Tax Claims
Zone of the agreements which
helped materially in quickly relieving
the American army of responsibility
and made it possible to turn over the
material with the least possible delay
was the resembling by the French of
claims to import tax duties"
The most important question in
Europe at the present moment is the
signing of the peace treaty as it stands
and the resumption Of business at the
earliest possible moment. France and
England are hampered in trade to a
great extent because of the delay in
settling the terms on which ali the
Allies shall sign up with Germany, and,
with the United States, are being beaten
in the effort to gain solid footing
in foreign trade relations by GerHany,
the only nation now in shape to go
ahead. AS whole, France wants the
treaty signed Immediately as it is.
whether it will need amendment later
or not.
and sort Of nervousness. and the
French want the treaty as a founda-
guarantee against Germany. The re-
suit Of the delay to the signing in
the United Sites is reflected in in
ternal conditions in France.
Coal $50 a Ton
Coal in Paris sells for $50 ton.
Clothing is high priced and hard to
get. With the approach of cold weather
an uprising on account Of the unset
and feared by French industrial lead =
ers. Europe wants the treaty signed,
no matter what it contains Over
there they figure that what details
need changing later will be changed as
soon as they get their feet on some
sort of solid ground
W. p. Kent, American consul at
Berne. Switzerland, was also on the
America. accompanied by his wife and
three children. His home is in Staun-
ton, Va
"Thousands of Germans are waiting
for the restrictions against the issu-
ance Of passports to Germans to be
lifted. so that they can come to the
United States.' he said. "the treaty
of peace is one of the leading political
questions in Switzerland al the present
moment, but it gets far less attention
in Europe than in the United States
''Trade with Germany is being re-
sumed by France aud England rapidly.
Americans are also going into Ger
many for purposes of trade, and the
difficulties are being settled as rapidly
as possible. The controversies over
the peace treaty and league Of nations
seem to be centered in the United
States. In Europe most of the refer
ences to it comes from America"
Grants Son Returns
Captain Philip Bongiorno, first
United States army officer sent to
Italy, returned with his bride, who was
Miss Enrlca Carello, sister of General
Oneto Carello, commander of the
Italian forces in Dalmatia. He said
she was the only Italian girl married
in Italy to an American officer Cap