The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-02

sons of the old France. who faced
the greatest military machine the
world has ever known and fought II
to a standstill, fought 1t till 1t cried
for mercy-fought 1t as only men
can night who have the spirit of
patriotism. the soul Of bravery. and
the sturdy qualities OF the daring.
dauntless soldier.
THE world had me- before seen
these men OF Fra 80 ~ their full
stature. The worli w full we'll
Of their genius in AZ. in letters. in
science, in statesmanship. and in the
professions. II knew full well OF
their matchless cleverness in the
distinctive fields OF French creations
and manufactures. 1t Knew full
we'll the capacity of the French
people. as a whole. for hard work,
economy. thrift, and there 10 no
greater virtue than these. II knew
OF their sane. simple home life, their
love of home, their love of family,
and their love of their country.
visualises New France.
This was the old France: the
new France will be all that the old
bigger in conception. bigger In execu-
cution. and bigger in the spirit OF .
triumphant people. Suffering, strug-
gle, self-denial. the test OF human
endurance, make great races. In
this respect France has been put TO
the supreme test, and has measured
up to that test in a way that has
won for her the plaudits of the
world. A temperamental race. the
old French. but when the clash OF
swords came these French soldiers
had all the sturdiness and stanchness
OF the hard-headed. strong|ibred
races OF the world. They never fall
tered. never complained, never failed
to command the admiration and
commentator OF their officers AMI
their Government.
IN this there is character build
ing on a vast scale, nationwide char
acter building. and the measure OF
nation Is the collective measure Of
its individual people. With the
moral and spiritual growth of the
French during the four years and
more Of war; with the training of
their men at arms into highly or
ganiZed units; with their experiences
in and mastery OF system and order;
with the conscious sense OF their
mental and physical power, man for
man. with the men OF other races
with the stimulus OF triumph in their
souls, theirs will be greater courage.
greater initiative. greater daring,
greater achievement than was posi-
BILE in the pre-war days.
with the old France conservatism
fettered enterprise. In shipping, in
manufactures. in merchandising. in
world trade, France was content to
move slowly and cautiously. and for
the most part to do things in small
ways. Her factories and steel mills
and the big industries generally
were not commensurate with those
OF England. of Germany and OF
America II was left to the var TO
force her to produce on a scale
that has made her a world COM
petitor. And now that she has
learned how. now that she has
put herself to the test and found
that she Is the equal OF any ma
ton In broad stroke methods. she
Is certain. with her new supply OF
coal and Iron from the reconquered
provinces Of Alsace and Lorraine, to
seek world markets In thesa prod
ucts a. In other manufactures.
Republic Further Enriched.
And this large scale production
will not interfere with the finer
kind OF production of the old
France. The two together will add
enormously to the scope of indus
trial France. With this greatly in
creased product In manufactures,
and with a big merchant marine,
which Is clearly foreshadowed for
France. indeed must come, sec
her making such forward strides in
wealth and prosperity as never even
flashed across the vision OF the old
France. The return OF Alsace and
Lorraine. with their vast storehouses
Of mineral treasure. enriches France
beyond computation. And France
Is further enriched. immeasurably
enriched. by the very superior and
patriotic citizenship OF these two
provinces
The new France will become the
shrine Of the world. All peoples
from all over the earth who have
the means TO do so will journey
thither to see for themselves the
battle scenes Of the great war, to
stand upon that hallowed ground
And the annual aggregation OF these
world visitors for years and years
to come will leave behind them
hundreds and hundreds of millions
OF francs.
with the bone-dry' law in effect
in America, which will prohibit the
importation OF French wines, It
would appear that France will suf-
fer heavy loss In her wine indus
try. But II does not follow that
this will be the fact, for what is
there remaining for the American
who Is accustomed to the niceties OF
the table but to spend more and
more Of his time in France each
year, And In some cases, per-
chance, II he Is not a slave to work.
he may forget altogether to come