The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1919-04-04
BY LLOYD ALLEN.
Western Newspaper Union STAT Cor
respondent.

y
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 q mark that will endure for
decades to come.
Dread of the German will 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; 1t 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 "A 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-
date 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.
ifths of her coal production, four.
hfths of her iron and steel output and
four-fifths Of her coke. The Germans
struck France right through the heart
Of her industrial region. Today this
section is for the most part waste
With the beginning of the peace con
ference France was out of essential
raw materials. She was In situa
ton altogether different from England
and America She had no chance O.
| Starting out to build up foreign trad,
and for that reason was anxious t.
have the allies maintain their blockad,
against the neutrals and the centra
powers as long as possible. Americ,
and England on the other hand knew
that the peace of the world must de
pend as much on the resumption O
normal trade as upon any strictly DO
litical action.
Germany Needs Raw Materials.
Unless raw materials are pushed in
to Germany the German factories can
not run and Germany cannot pay tn
indemnity the peace conference will
place on her shoulders. Unless tn
factories of Germany are permitted t.
operate the German civilians will no
have work and If large problem o
unemployment develops, the revolu
tionary elements-that is the very rae
cal revolutioniSts-will overthrow
whatever government the German
now have set up and the German sig
nature on the peace treaty will be null
and void.
Out of these conditions the Frenc
governments policies were NATURAL
vanlped along entirely different line
from the American and British po
icies. 1t was impossible for Franc
to plan for the future as America an
England would. AS consequence
there was great divergence of idea
: during the early days Of the peac
; conference that was more or less mis-
understood by Americans in Franc
= and caused an undue amount of crit
icism to be launched against Frenc
methods and French statesmen.
The French for instance passed
governmental resolution about tn
middle of January that PRACTICAL
S stopped the importation of American
D English, and other foreign manufa,
: tured articles into the country this 6
: a time when the average American wa
e thinking and talking of the close
4 trade relations that would spring u
y between France and America as a r,
: suit of the two nations having fougf
e side by side in the war.
American Firm Hit.
One of the first American firms h
by the resolution was the manufactu
er of well-known automobile. TIL
!, firm had several thousand cars |
France ordered for war purposes b
. the French government. 1t was in
possible to sell the cars to civilian
>, since such a move would be the caus
Of French money leaving the countr
II money left the country the Frenc
financial. situation suffered accordir
to the amount spent abroad. The raj
Of exchange was already against n