El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-04-10
THE NEEDS OF.
FRANCE ARE TOLD.
Economic Condition Of the
Country Related by Lieut..
Maurice Boyer.

10 ZnMEDA LaAAaAeAE aaaH4NNH AA.aHHAN
meet this France has had TO resort 10
taxes and loans Taxes nave been
raised 10 an unprecedented level IN
1918 taxes ran 10 over 4,l0Q,uuusOuu
francs, without the income from the
invaded portion Of the country which
amounted TO % percent Of the total
before the war. In 1917 the civil
population paid $50 per capita, As
compared with So per capita paid by
American tax payers In 1916 We owe
$500. 900. 600 10 our allies, the United
states and England
ss-rbe acreage Of French terri
tory which is so badly shell torn that
the only way to make IL available Tor
cultivation Of cereals is 10 plant
forests instead Of crops, amounts 10
over 100000 acres 1--we stoek n1S
been decreased nearly 1-,O0Q,ulU head
The number OF hogs has decreased 40
percent; the number Of sheep s. per-
cent
81 assure you that the danger Of
starvation for our children in the
liberated districts is just as immin-
eut. if not more so. as the starvation
so vel advertised Of the German pop
ulatiOn-
one million five hundred thousand
acres OF forests have been destroyed
with ten percent OF the number and
six and one half percent OF the fire
wood gone.
The damage TO agricultural imple-
ments and forests aggregates $5,O0O,-
GOO, 600 We have sent to Germany TO
bring back our stolen agricultural i'm
elements but great part OF them
has been destroyed in order 10 take
away from Us our facilities 10 resume
agriculture
-Iou will agree with me. 7 am sure,
upon the necessity Of demanding from
Germany the equivalent of what has
been wantonly destroyed ny the Ger
Mills Destroyed.
twenty six thousand mills and
factories were destroyed IN the IN
vaded districts. Though this section
contained only seven percent OF our
nopulatioh. it represented 30 percent
Of our Industrial productions and -
percent OF our taxes. 80 percent OF
ou- pig iron ore and % percent OF our
blast furnaces Fifteen bullion dol
lars viii be necessary to reconstruct
and rehabiitare the devastated as
tricts.
..The Germans destroyed 1895 kilo-
meters Of railroad tracks. Il tunnels,
and 1900 bridges and viaducts- The
merchant marine Of 1914 fell TO 1,6l5i-
GOO tons on April i, 1918 France had
neither labor nor materials TO build
new ships Five hundred thousand
houses we're completely destroyed
Unable TO Produce
While the whole world jumps into
business and resumes trade. We nav e
a Part Of our territory which IS IN
able 10 produce Our duty is 10 re-
store cur industries and TO protect
them as long as conditions are not
normal. This means certain restrlc-
tions which some Of you regret Dul
which were imposed upon US BY the
destruction Of the war For the raw
materials we need, We must uepenu
largely upon foreign ships. our pss-
assets were our colonial empire pul
in order TO explain these colonies we
want ships
Under an these circumstances We
are positive that we can have no surer
friend and none more willing 10 help
than the United states
The question Of terms is most i'm
nortaut. You grant extended terms
here. You must be prepared 10 graLllt
similar terms abroad Especially :
This necessary for our present conol-
1for II YOU wish 20 export TO France
Merchants must not be oFercauuous
in opening credits abroad They must
be aware OF the strong sense OF nonoI
that controls questions Of failures IN
France, which involves the loss OF
civil standing and eligibility 70 Ger
tain functions Of Importance con
nected with commercial life when
they value highly. in my country II
il . great disgrace not to meet one
obligations
To Strengthen INTEREST,"
New organizations have Deen
crested to strengthen commercial ana
financial interests between the United
states and France The French cham
Der Of commerce Of New York and
the Franco american board for com
merce and industries in New ORR
might be mentioned The objects OF
the newly created board are to de-
velop American markets for French
products as well as French MARKERS
FOR American products
Il assure you that the measure OF
protection which we must ask IN or
der 10 give our industries chance,
do not mean that your business men
VIII be less welcome in France than
were your boys who went over 70
fight so CALAMITY with our own
troops"
Is OF High Commission.
Lieut.. Maurice Boyer, secretary OF
the Bank Of Paris. one OF the great
est commercial banks in France and
a preventative Of the French high
commission. sent 20 the United States
10 study economic problems connect
cd with the reconstruction Of France,
arrived in FL PasO Thursday morning
from Albuquerque. n. NJ, and win re-
main until Friday afternoon, when
ne viii leave for san Antonio Lieut.
On arrF "a Mt ~ the