The Broadus independent., 1919-04-10
BY LLOYD ALLEN.
Western Newspaper Union Staff Cor

PariS.-Four years of war absolute
changed the character. Of France as
nation, changed her economic situa-
ion, altered her outlook on the world
and turned the whole future of the
country toward industriaIsm rather
han agriculture.
The France of today has new ideals
hat were undreamed of in 1914. Only
,ne big characteristic of the prc-war
lays remains, and that is the ,lnalter-
able and deep-rooted fear of Germany,
fear bred by generations of worry
hat started long before 1870 and that
naS imprinted itself on French char
lcter rs 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
heir old enemy. it is vital neceS-
''ity: it cannot be arranged otherwise
.or the simple reason that Germany
still holds her supremacy as the big
While France has some coal she must
still depend on Germany for some
hing like 23.OOOO0o tons Il year even
after the supposedly rich coal fields
of AlSace-Lorrane go to France, as
they undoubtedly will in the peace
reaty.
It's going to be rather strange
III p; r.,
mans. France will lack coal and the
Germans will lack iron.
France will sell iron to the Germans
md get coal in return
Immediate Problems Mighty.
While the somewhat distant future
S very bright for France the imme-
1!ate problems she must solve are
mighty She has the beginning of her
aew industrial system in the form of
series of factories that made mu-
ltions during the war
Her former industries are smashed
At the first German invasion France
ost so per cent of her wooden indus
~, 90 per cent of her sugar mills, four
lfths of her coal production, four
1fths of her iron and steel output and
.our-fifthS of her coke. The Germans
struck France right through the heart
of her indus trial region. Today this
section is .or the moSt pert a waste.
With tie beginning of the peace con
terence France was out of essential
raw Naterials. She was in situa-
lion altogether different from England
and America. She had 40 chance of
starting out to build up foreign trade
and for that reason WAS anxious to
have the allies maintain their blockade
against the neutrais and the central
powers as long as possible. America
and England on the other hand knew
hat the peace of the world must de-
pend as much on the reSumption of
normal trade as upon any strictly po-
itical action.
Germany Needs Raw Materials.
Unless raw materials are pushed in
20 Germany the German factories cam
lot run and Germany cannot pay the
indemnity the peace conference will
place on her shoulders. Unless the
sactories of GerSlany are permitted 70
operate the Germa civilians will not
ave work and if Il large problem of
unemployment develops, the revolu-
.ionary elements-that is the very rad
cal revolutiOnists-will overthrow
whatever government the Germans
low have set up and the German sig
nature on the peace treaty will be null
and void.
Out of these conditions the French
governments policies We're naturally
samped along entirely different lines
from the American and British pol
'cies. 1t was impossible for France
- plan for the future as America and
England would. AS consequence
there was Il great divergence of ideas
during the early days of the peace
conference that was more or less mis-
understood by Americans in France
and caused an undue amount of crit
.cism to be launched against French
methods and French statesmen.
The French for instance passed a
governmental resolution about the
middle Of January that practically
stopped the importation of American,
English, and other foreign manufac-
tured articles into the country, this at
time when the average American was
thinking and talking of the closer
trade relations that would spring up
between France and America as re-
suit of the two nations having fought
side by side In the war;
American Firm Hit.
One of the first American firms hit
,y the resolution was the manufactur-
ar of a well-knOwn automobile. This
firm had several thousand cars in
France ordered for war purposes by
The French government. 1t was i'm
possible to sell the cars to civilians,
since such move would be the cause
or French money leaving the country.
u money left the country the French
tfr,., 49,