The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-02-12
,ect much from the Americans.

--'sssx<A.as
pect much from the Americans.
q. is only fair to say that in every
case where The attention of the
French government has been brought
to . case OF extortion, earnest and,
think. effective effort has been made
to stop it. Compared with the United
States France is q small country and
limited in her resources. Necessarily,
she is provident, perhaps unpleasant
ly careful, I would say; not miserly,
nor certainly not intentionally extor-
tionate. But also you must know that
all the time our own French people
have paid the same prices for what
the..- bought that ou- American friends
/; have.
Throughout the war our relations
with the American army have been
cordial, and your treasury officials
Will assure you. am sure, that there
has always been a spirit Of generosity
on both sides. Any suggestion that
we have asked payment for trenches
or the burial places Of your brave SOL
dters is atrocious. For all futures ages.
the graves Of American soldiers vii.
be in the tender and sacred keeping
of our grateful people.
Il have said that the war is won
It would perhaps be more accurate
to say that there is lull in the
storm. At least it is as we'll to face
scuarely al! Of the possibilities.
"Recent disclosures have enabled Us
to look deeper into the purposes of
the enemy thanswe could heretofore.
It was not purely a dream OF mill
tav domination on the part of Prus-
sia. It. was a definite, calculated con-
spiracy to exterrinate France as well
industria!ly and commercially as IN
military sense. In these efforts the
German banaers and manufacturers
ioined their general staff. The ex-
pcsures of DR.. Muehlon Of the krupp
works and of Kurt E;sner, at the
Berne Socialist Conference, made this
clear.
And this fact explains many of
! the activities Of the German army
| which we were unable to understand.
We can now see why they stole the
machinery from our factories, why
they destroyed the coal mines Of Lens,
why there was all the vanton devas-
/ tation Of French territory even while
trey were in retreat. It was thought
/ to be a part Of their tactics Of mill
tary frightfulness. Instead we can
see now that it was a part of their
deliberate commercial design.
And in this phase Of their war
making effort they have not been
| altogether unsuccessful. The industrial
! life OF France has been so wrecked
that it's rcsuscitation is most difficult,
wi1iic by reason Of. her military sur
render Germany has been able to save
her factories intact and ready for i'm
mediate efficient operation. Indus
trially and commercially, as between
! France and Prussia for the present
the victory is with the Hun.
And financially, by reason OF the
! blockade Cthe value Of which as
! military factor no one will question:
I the German war debt is almost wloi-
i ly a debt to her own people. easily re-
pudiated. while the debt of France is
| one which must be paid. Here again
the war has proved something like 4
pyrrhic victory fer France.
1.-THE French fortune invested
abroad before the war was large.
some $4,000, 100000 or $4,000. .o00.-
! 900 (francs) of French stocks. What
! has become of that fortune? The
best we can hope for is that payments
on about two-thirds Of it may be con-
sidered as simply deferred: that the
immense sum accumulated by French
thrift and loaned abroad will be col
+! lectibIe eventually.
France has something like 90
900. 900. 600 francs invested in Russia;
i two thirds Of that sum in Russian
government securities and the re-
mainder in industrial enterprises. The
French people had other billions in
Balkan and Turkish obligations. Then
just before the war, the disorders in
Mexico deprived US of any revenues
from about 2.50o. 900, 900 francs in
vested there. and We are having the
same experience with several other
billions in South America. notably in
the immense French investments in
railroads.
Il mention some of these financial
details to show how the French for
tune has shrunls SO that our people
can no longer derive q large income
from abroad.
The paying investments abroad
are relatively inconsid ore BILE compar-
ed to the debts that France has con-
tracted abroad during the war. par
ticularly in America and in England.
The French government has also loan
ed considerable sums to her small al
lies. just as America has done with
her associates.
..Mc too, forward therefore. to an