The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-07
GROWTH OF FRANCE
TOLD BY CASENAVE
Rapid Recovery From Effect
of War Shown in Speech
at Milwaukee.
READY FOR BUSINESS
Destruction Caused by Inva-
sion and Occupation Being
Repaired Quickly.
READY FOR BUSINESS
Special pespaten to rnr sur.

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 6.-Maurice Case
nave. Minister Plenipotentiary and Di-
rector General of the French Public Ser
vices, delivered an address at the La
fayette celebration here to-day in the
| City Club. Mr.. Casenave said:
you remember that. before the war,
a legend had been spread all over the
world about the French people. They
were believed, even by their best friends,
to be intelligent and artistic, but at the
same time self-conceited, vain, light,
even corrupt and so fond of pleasure
that it was impossible for them to bear
| any hardship. Five years ago from to-
day this legend was destroyed by the
victory of the Marine, and L dare say
| that France owes as mucn recognition
to the great Marechal Joffre for having
killed that legend as for having beaten
| the German army.
And now that the war is over, now
that the victory Is won, another legend
! is spreading. 1t Is not the legend of
French frivolity, of French corruption,
| 1t is the legend which represents France
| SO debilitated by her sufferings, so weak
ened by Ter losses, so overcome by the
| the burden of her debts, that she never
will be able to recover that she has not
| even the energy to go to work again.
| that she is annihilated forever and that
all the money so generously loaned to
France by Americans is lost forever
This is the new legend which l will
| try to destroy, because 1t is most decid-
| eddy a piece of the German propaganda.
| which has to be fought in the open, and
| NJ hos m ha al nv Of
| After War Plans Made.
| Even during the war the French
| Government, sharing the faith of the
people in ultimate victory, had in
! trusted a committee composed of lead
| ing men in finance, commerce and indus
/ try with the study of the means to be
| employed for the development of
French commerce and industry after the
| war. Later on the French Parliament
passed law regarding the PREPARATION
| Of the damages of the war" which was
published on April 10. Recently a COM
mittee of reconstruction of the devas-
tated regions was established to secure
the cooperation of the Government and
| of private initiative in this immens Sc
| enterprise. Both committees, which are
| at work at present, have published in
| teresting reports on what France is go
| ing to do and has already done in the
| way of reconstruction.
THE losses in human lives suffered
| by France are we'll known. About
| 100000 men have been killed about
| $4,000 have been crippled and put
permanently out of work During the
| war the shortage of hands had to be
made up by the introduction of foreign
European. even of Asiattc labor. but
! obviously this measure GOULD only he
taken as a transitory expedient, accept
| able during war time.
Before the war France was suffering
| from a deficit of twenty to twenty five
million tons in coal this deficit is
| greater now on account of the destruc-
ton of some of our mines by the Ger
| mans and because of the needs of AL
| sace-Lorraine. 1t is certainly justified
! that Germany should complete this def
| lett to a certain extent, but France
| wants to help herself in the greatest
| measure possible. She is beginning to
I develop as much as possible the use of
poorer fuel, like lignites, which are
/ abundant in the southeastern part of
our territory like schistous coal and coke
and peat, which until now had been used
| only as domestic fuel.
| but the most important motive-power
which has to be developed is what we
call in France white coal' that Is
water power.
Iron to BE Exported.
Before the war, France was con-
| Stunning for her own use tire total
amount of her pig iron output, a
little over million tons The pro-
duction will soon reach $4,000 tons
leaving an excess of l u million tons
| for expectation.
| 1.-THE production of steel, before war
was about S million tons: 1t will now
attain about ~ million, with l mill
1 ion tons to be exported.
| "You know that, since she recow,
cred Alsace. France is in possession
| of very extensive potash fields: those
potash fields, combined with the i'm
portant phosphate deposits. ,existing in
our colonies of Algeria and Tunis, will
permit agriculture, which is the
| greatest industry in France, to re-
cuperate promptly and regain it's post
| ton in the world.
1.-THE French textile industries were
| in great progress for about ten years
| spindles are in use, we will be able to
produce, as soon as the factories in the
| northern France will be put in order
again, about los, 900 tons; even If our
consumption would increase to 10000
tons, the possibilities OF our exporta-
lions would increase in a corresponding
| way.
THE prospects of our cotton industry,
which produced $4,000 tons, would also