Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-04-09

French textile industry, the Germans,
when they did not steal the machin-
cry, broke some of the vital parts and
took away all electrical fittings and
every scrap of copper.
What happened then after the war
had ceased?
The French government made 1t i'm
possible for the Lille factory owners
to replace the stolen and destroyed
spindles by buying them in America
and England, and France could not re-
place them. 1t was pointed out 10 the
men OF Lille who wished to buy, and
who had the money to buy, that 1t was
Illegal to send money out Of France.
If the spindle buyer happened to have
fund handy In England or America,
with which to pay for his stuff there
was slim chance Of being able TO put
through the deal, but 1t was by no
means a certainty.
Back of this seemingly suicidal pol
icy was the French government plan
to make France as nearly self-sustain-
ing as possible, to keep French money
at home and to keep the rate Of ex-
change as favorable as possible to
France.
It did not occur to the French Off
cials that reconstruction problems
could be solved more easily If the Lille
people and others in the same predica-
ment were permitted to buy factory
machinery abroad and thereby hasten
the day when the textile mills would
resume production.
Would Help Labor.
With production started, even
with factory reconstruction started,
the French economic system would be
benefited, because such an outcome
would give employment to French
workmen. And expectation Of tex
tiles--which have to be manufactured
before they are shpped-would auto
matlcally push the French exchange
rates into a position favoring France.
Yet the whole chain of reconstruc-
ton. was blocked by the prohibition
on importing foreign spindles and the
French textile people themselves were
obliged to oppose government policy
that hurt their business.
American business men In France
during the peace conference shook
their heads when they were asked
about the possibility of immediate
trade between France and America,
and the optimistic ones took the view
that tight government control of trade
us put into effect by the French in
January as IA reconstruction measure
could not last long.
What happened to the textile Indus
try during the war was only repe-
tItlon of the sad fate of the brewing
well as the sugar business.
All of this wreckage cost the French
something like 100000, 000-that's the
first official estimate.
Dream of Prosperity.
In the midst Of this despoliatlon
France has a dream of future indus
rial prosperity to be realized only
by protecting all national industry
against foreign competition. Never
before has she thought seriously of
taking the Germans place In Europe.
and now she believes that with only
comparatively small amount of ia
voritism she can compete for many Of
the German markets
From the despairing days of July,
1918, when IL seemed certain the Ger
mans would take Paris and that
French public opinion would not stand
behind continuation of the war. 10
the eXaltation France feels today in
the JOY of victory is a far cry. to say
the least.
The tables are completely turned.
Politically and economically the
French have made tremendous gains
and they can only be expected TO make
tie most of their bettered position in
the world.
If they happened to work at cross
purposes to England and America. we
can expect some compromise measures
and some heated headlines perhaps in
ease the censor gets off the job some
time in 1919, but scarcely anything
more serious.
Picked for Life.