The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-05-09
LUNENBURG
Letter from Lieut.. Donald A. Thomas
OF Milbank, NJ. ID.
Tours, France,
March 80, 1919

OURS, rance,
March 80, 1919
Dear ALI
/ have number of things to write
about today. | had started to write
last night when friend came in and
wanted me to go to movie as con-
sequence | shall have to forego the
customary stroll that | have been TAX
ing on Sunday afternoon if l tell all
I have in mind.
However, it is not very pleasant
day, 50 it matters little. We had a
light fall of snow last night, the
third snowfall that | have seen in
Tours. notice in the paper that New
York had a severe storm too, so 1T
.:ay be quite a general thing.
IA Americans get their pay raised
everal francs this month because of
he fact that the rate of exchange
las risen. Before the war five francs
9qualled one dollar When we first
came over, because of the existing
conditions the value of a dollar had
20 risen that it was worth 5.75 francs.
AS more Americans came, bringing a
considerable amount of trade to
rance, the rate dropped to 5.45 at
49, we have been paid for several
months previous. On the 18th we
we're surprised to learn that, as we
understood, France was unable to
meet certain of her loans, the rate
lad jumped to $40. 1t hasbeen go
ne up steadily since and todays pap
,r quotes it at Cos. We are to be
paid at $50 | am told. You can
readily see what a difference this will
make. 1t amounts to 5.80-5.45- .25 on
a dollar or 35 francs on 100 dollars,
which means that will receive about
60 francs more than last month. If
one had any capital he could readily
make tidy sum by converting dol
lars into francs at the present high
rate and then holding them for drop
(which) will surely come when condi-
tons are adjusted
You will recall my promising to
send you the little pamphlet we were
preparing on the Engineering accom-
plishments in France. We printed
them up this week; the figures quoted
speak for themselves, although there
are one or two things that | want
particularly to call your attention to.
Note that enough barracks were con-
structed to reach from Milbank to
we'll beyond Minneapolis GOO miles,
if the buildings were placed end to
end. If to these we add the hospital
wards, which were buildings of the
same type, the whole would reach
from Minneapolis to the Missouri riv-
err at Mobridge 600 miles.) The
docks built or taken over from the
French and improved by the Engin-
GERS would form continuous dock of
almost the distance from Milbank to
Twin Brooks Is miles,. Consider such
an immense dock equipped with great
cranes and unloading devices and you
will have an idea of the facilities
needed to handle the supplies that
came over the A. E. F. To store
these supplies approximately 500
acres were provided in all, at various
points scattered over France. These
would more than cover three quarters
of a square mile. Enough standard
guage railroad was constructed to
reach from Chicago to New York
! $1,000 miles,, although, understand
me, this was not constructed as
main line but rather largely in the
depots and at the ports, etc. The
100000 pounds of bread produced
daily in the great mechanical bakery
at Is-sur- Tile, would without doubt
be sufficient to feed Minneapolis and