Evening journal., 1919-04-08
FRENCH CLOSE DOOR
! TO Foreign GOODS
Stand on Their Own Toes
Through Fear of
Germany
FRANCE MUST BE
SELF SUPPORTING
BY EDWARD W. TH1ERRY.

PARIS, April s.--A dream that hasn't
come true is the expectation by Amer
lea OF millions Of dollars worth OF ma
ler,al to help reconstruct France.
Five months have passed since the
armlstice was signed. And It's stlll a
DREAM.
France needsforeign goods and ma
icqial. She must have thcm, She
knows she must have them. Neverthe-
less the French government has laid
down such severe restrictions on i'm
ports that the dream Of foreign trade
expansion has vanished into thin air.
France IS standing on her own toes.
Franco is afraid the commercially
astuie Germans VIII profit while the
French industry is repairing Itself and
that French industry Will suffer II the
door IS opened wide % foreign imports.
The American Chamber OF Commerce
nf paris-3j0 mcn-rcprcsenting as
many American cOncerns-cant under
stand why there should be so much
delay In bringing about something That
would help prosperity in both France
and the United Stalcs.
"The present policy Of Introduction
Of importatons by The French govern
ment is suicidal said Judge Waller
Berry, president Of The American
Chamber "What France needs at once
Is the reconstruction and equipment OF
rs aclories-immcdiate production
and employment for It's wOrkmen.'
The Federation for British Industries
sent a delegation here. They had hall
nj
Deschanel, president Of the Chamlsr OF
Deputies, and Lopcheur, minister or
reconstruction, and others. But while
Everybody was friendly the import
door wasn't thrown wide open.
"The crux of the whole situation,
taid the minister Of reconstruction, rs
that France cannot at present finance
largely her imports by exports. she
requires hnaarient assistance TO enable
her TO meet the purchases necessary
FOR the reconstruction which Is essen-
iial before her Eporis can again sta
billie the exchanges"
Exchange. That's the bogey. 10
brought this statement from Judge
Berry:
Like Macbeth, the French author
lties seem 10 be hypnolized and terror
led by spectre--a spectre whose
name IS Exchange They say that In
order TO avoid any rise in exchange all
.mportaiions into, France must be bar
.cd Consequently they have decrced
hat no foreign products shall enter
Is boundaries.
"France must become self-support-
,ng induslrially they claim, and must
3nly export Nes-but in order To hes
self-supporting France must first pro-
a1f1c. IN order TO produce it must
Save Materials for pr0ductlon-ma-
shines. machine-i0Ols. agricultural I'M
olcmcnts and raw materials.
at cannot create these suddenly. II
must import them. Until it has inn
boried them 10 cannot export the pro-
1uciions derived from them. The
French aupihoritcs say: France must
construct It's own machines But this
would take years, even If it could be |
uonc at all"
That French merchants and manu- |
facturers are not standing solidly back !
Of the French government in its for |
eign trade restriction policy can be
seen from the numerous requests made |
hv the various French houses for the
help OF the American Chamber Of Com |
merce In obtaining badly needed pro- !
ducts.
Here are some OF The things French
trims want 10 purchase from America
Textile machinery. sole leather, iute
for manufacturing sacks, sewing ma
chimes. bicycles. printing machinery,
cardboard machinery, alarm clocks,
wall paper. agricultural implements,
tanning extracts. canoes coal tar pitch,
candles. tin plate, tanks for brewing
purposes, various kinds OF alimentary
products and pharmaceutical machin-
cry such as tube fllling and closing
machines.