Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-03
srsspsndeacs Of The Star.
PARIS. July


pen together, the ensemble
gets across in detached pieces. As
Tor economic writer's hitting the high
spots. they can obtain gaudy pre-
symptoms from the disgruntled who
were In hurry to do business dur
ing the period Of French importation
restrictions.
80, some may have false impress
sion that the French government is
selfish and silly. cares nothing for
poor otttsens In cruel need Of motor
cars, despises our synthetic dyes. has
no vse Tor smoke consumers. laughs
at the needs of devastated textile
factories and would as collously see
shivering French boys go without
stockings as grandpop without to-
bacoo for his pipe.
Don't believe it.
Any more than that the American
expeditionary force Gust simply a
bunch of crusaders) would throw
sewing machines into the bonfire and
laugh, while poor French sewing
women plead. with streaming eyes:
"Ah. don't destroy themv
1t is not the American expeditionary
force, anyway.
1t is the liquidation commission, and
the real story Is pretty play of
WIS (between French and American
men Of witt and much unadvertised
kindness (for the simple and hum
ble).
1t Is all about Michael and Satan
contending for the body of Noses
that enormour mass of valuable
American material which the Ameri-
can evolutionary force brought over
mere ana has been explicitly order
ed. from Washington not to take any
Of 1t back. The commissions honor
is to do best for America and the
French government experts to do
pest Tor the French government.
They are keen buyers.
1t is different from Italy, where,
inter ALA, we had motor vehicles to
get rid OF. The Italian governments
oner was so low that we refused It.
When We give, we give; but when we
Hquidate. the commissions point of
honor is to avoid even the appearance
OF softness. So, we said: Well sell
those cars to the italian public" Go
ahead" said the Italian government.
Thus, We obtained double the price
they had rendered.
In France the leading case was
Ford-that remnant of $500 cars, as
sembled and unassembled, sold to the
French government a year ago for
1875 each and remaining undelivered
at the armttstice. The Fords desired
TO buy them back. Offering the orig
1nal 1876 per. plus 1877 francs per car
Tor transport expenses, plus 70 per
cent al valorem duty, plus 10 per
cent luxury tax. They sketched
their plan in detail. The French gov
eminent would receive nearly 9,000,-
600 francs in customs and luxury
tax. plus the original 100000 francs
1t had paid for the cars. In addition,
the Fords agreed to stabilize the re-
tail price of the cars at an even $1,000
each, and estimated that "the local
agents would make 5.85O,000 francs
profits. France scorned the plan, we
are told-"turned her back on the
100000. francs. even though her
credit steadily declines" But was
France SO silly? Eight of those
seventeen millions were her own
money: and take another million
transport expenses from the re-
mainder. What did the Fords ask?
Permission to sell those cars a second
time at big profit. The French
government felt that 1t needed that
profit itself.
These ideas ruled the disposition of
the A. E. F. motor vehicles-44,619
passenger cars Gncluding ambu-
lances,, bicycles and motor cycles)
and 24.055 trucks. And some of them
was fat and some of them was thin.
I mean, some new, some wrecks, and
many in between. Every French citi-
zen wanted to buy an unchanged car
for sos. But the French government
had it's own French army cars to sell.
Doubtless. there are purchasers for
both lots-but safety first. This may
throw Fight on the Ford imbroglio
SO the impression got about that
our liquidation commission might not
sell A. E. F. automobiles to the French
public-not just vet. Automobiles?
NY