The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-03
FRANCE WANTS
i. S. MILLIONS
FOR RAIL LOSS
Enormous Sums Claimed as
Deficits Of. Roads Due
to War Uses.
INVOKES DIPLOMACY
Britain Said to BE Back of
Raid on Washington's
Big Gold Reserve.
CAN'T WATT FOR GERMANY
Receipt in Full Was Given to
American Army When
Starting for Home.
CAN'T WATT FOR GERMANY
LAURENCE HILLS.

Special Cable 10 THE My YosK HsaAtn.
Copyright, 1890, bv THE INV yoaK HERALD
New York Herald pureau,l
Paris. Nov. q.
Unable to get the United States to
assume direct responsibility for the
Allied war debts. efforts are we'll under
way here by which the French hope to
obtain from the United States Govern
ment, through diplomatic channels.
several hundred million dollars claimed
by the French Government as the
deficit In the French railroad budgets
during the period the lines were con-
gested with the Allies war traffic.
THE New York HERALD correspond
ent is Informed by a reliable authority
that the French railroads have already
submitted the plan to a representative
of the British Government, which re-
fused to admit its responsibility for
the deficit but which suggested that
the United States gold reserve was
sufficient to pay off the French losses,
IL it could be reached, the conclusion
being that the British were willing to
pay something II the United States
would pay more.
Vague Rumoxs OF Claims,
Notwithstanding the fact that the
United States army, when II LETT
France. carried with it a receipt In
full for all obligations. the French
railroads are pleading that the sums
represented in that receipt do not In
clude such vague, Understandable ac-
counts as the budgetary deficits. which
could not be computed before the
American army returned home.
Temporary bitches occurred In the ap-
peal for the United States to shoulder
this heavy burden, which, incidentally.
was generally supposed to be chargeabie
TO Germany. Finally the heads OF the
French railroads decided that an assault
on the United States Treasury and the
Bank of England would more likely pro-
duce results than would waiting for
German reparations. Then they were
undecided whether to press their claims
as individual companies or to have the
French government plead for them on
the ground that the French railroads
were virtually under State control, the
western Etat lines. which were most used
by the United States troops, being actu-
ally State property.
Figuring Out Deficits,
According to THE NEW YORK HERALD
correspondents informant. the State
railways deficit has reached a total of
nearly $200, 900, 900 the Nord railways
$50. 000.0 900; the Est lines. $6o.000.00o.
with the Paris. Lyons and Mediterranean
the Orleans and the MIDI" which did
not enter on as large a scale as the other
French railroads in the military trans
port traffic but which lost traffic be-
cause II failed to maintain its schedules.
claiming q united total deficit of $120.-
100000. calculated Mt the normal rate OF
exchange.
Another interesting phase OF the stu
alton is that some railroad officials here
suggest that the United States be called
on to pay four-ffths OF the deficit and
Great Britain one-fifth. on the theory
that It was the sudden concentration of
the United States forces which disrupted
the French railroad service. the deficits
not being marked until the spring OF
1918.