The L'Anse sentinel., 1919-04-18
BY LLOYD ALLEN.
Western Newspaper Union Staff Cor

Western Newspaper Union Staff Cor
respondent.
| (CopydSht. 1919 By Western Newspaper Unlon.)
Pnris.-Four years Of war absolute
ly changed the character Of France as
q nation. changed her economic situa-
tion. 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-wnr
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 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 Gcrmany-they must trade with
their old enemy. II is 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 23,OO0,OOO tons 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 n 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
series Of factories that made mu-
nitions during the war.
Her former industries are smashed
At the first German invasion France
lost 80 per cent of her wooden indus
try. 30 per cent Of her sugar mills, four
fifths OF her coal production. four
fifths 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 a waste.
With the beginning Of the peace con-
ference France was out of essential
raw materials. She was in a sltua-
tion altogether different from England
and America. She had no chance of
starting out to build up foreign trade
and for that reason was anxious to
have the allies maintain their blockade
against the neutrals and the central
powers rs long as possible. America
and England on the other hand knew
that the peace Of the world must de-
pend as much on the resumption of
normal trade as upon any strictly po-
liticai action.
Germany Needs Raw Materials.
Unless raw materials are pushed in
to Germany the German factories can
not run and Germany cannot pay the
indemnity the peace conference will
place on her shoulders. Unless the
factories Of Germany are permitted to
operate the German civilians will not
have work and II large problem Of
unemployment develops, the revolu-
tionnry elcments-that is the very rad
icnl revolutionists-will overthrow
whatever government the Germans
now 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 were naturally
vomped nlong entirely different lines
from the American and British pol
icies. 1t WINS impossible for France
to plan for the future as America and
England would. AS q consequence
there was q great divergence of ideas
during the early days of the peace
conference that was more or less mis-
understood BY Americans in France
and cnuscd an undue amount of crit
icism to be launched against French
methods and French statesmen.
The French for instance passed
governmental resolution about the
middle OF January that practically
stopped the importation nf American, j
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 la the war.
American Firm Hit.
One Of the first American firms hit
by the resolution was the manufacture
er OF a wcll-known automobile. This
firm had several thousand cars I'm
France ordered for war purposes by
the French government. 1t was Inn
possible 10 sell the cars to civilians,
since such move would be the cause
Of French money leaving the country.
II money left the country the French
financial situntioD suffered according
to the amount spent abroad. The rate