The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1919-04-04
Has New Ideals undeamed Of in l9l4Fute Of the Country
Turned From Agriculture to lndusiaismHWhle
Distant Future Is Bright Problems to Be
Solved Are Mighty

Keep the exchange rate from mount |
Ing higher against France.
Mere fiuctuation OF exchange was /
not the primary reason for barring out 1
the American automobiles.
As IL happened, well-known
French concern operated by Andre
Citroen, whose name is as well known
In France us the name of the leading
manufacturer OF cheap automobiles is
known In America. had turned his fac
tory over to munition production dur
ing the war. While the peace con-
ference was starting. Citroen was
converting his works into plant for
manufacturing small and fairly
cheap car which would take its place
as the cheapest ear in France as soon
rs production could be gotten under
way.
Ia the meantime Citroen was pro-
tected. The lot of American cars was
not to be thrown on to n market that
the French considered to be legitimate
ly Citroen's.
Close to Industrial Paralysis.
Americans in Paris did not appreci-
ate the French situation as revealed
in cold figures of the statisticians,
namely, that France was on the very
verge of absolute Industrial paralysis
that the country, with only one or
two false moves, might easily go into
that vicious circle of industrial mis-
fortune that had already hit Austria
where the whole economic fabric had
degenerated to point that brought
rank ruin to the greater portion of the
population.
While France was enacting laws that
prohibited the Importation of Ameri-
can manufactured articles and thereby
hoped to protect her own disrupted
factories while they got back from a
war basis TO peace footing Amer
lea, as she had every right to do, shut
out one of the principal commodities
the French have to sell abroad: wines
brandies and liquors. Our national
prohibition amendment cut off at one
stroke one of the leading products
the French had hoped to sell in the
United States. There was of course
no spirit of retaliation on the part OF
America in this-it was simply the
working out of a strictly national prob
lem.
American officials here in Paris wht
were watching the strained relations
between the Americans and certain
/, cliques of the French used to poln
out that America must make due al
lowances for the critical problems O
reconstruction days in France and re
, discrimination ordered by the Frencl
. government would right itself quickl,
enough because Of the inequalltie
such rulings made in France itself.
In other words, IL was regarded a
: only matter Of time before pressure
brought to bear by the French bust
;. ness houses who were unfavorably af
fected by the embargo against Ameri
. can factory stuff would cause the gov
eminent to let down the bars in man,
instances and permit the flow Of trad
to resume.
French Industries Ruined.
To illustrate: The country aroun
a Lille in the north of France was
\ great spinning center before the wal
a 1t was also the center of some of tn
y worst fighting. And the spinning mill
: were destroyed by shell fire and b
3 willful robbery by the Germans. o
the $4,000 bobbins spinning line
l.. thread before the war 100000 wer
:, destroyed and $4,000 stolen. In tn
6 wool spinning business in this secto
100000 bobbins out of 100000 wer
!, destroyed or stolen, according to tn
French minister of reconstruction
!, Something like five hundred cotto
: bobbins were put out of business. r