Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-08-30
FRANCEENACTINC
PEACE MIRACLE
Facts Belle Report Her
People are Not
Working

NEW YORK, August 30-France's
"victory of peace" in her reconstruc7
ton mails the lie that her people
are not working" Herbert S. Hous-
ton, New York publisher, declares
after a period of research at Paris
whence he recently returned.
Offering statistics showing remark
able rehabilitation in former devas-
tated regions, where Geramn divis-
ions wrought havoc in industrial,
farming and mining sections, Mr.
Houston characterizes the recovery of
the French people as another mir
acle Of the Marne." In an article
in the current issue of Worlds Work
he says:
With government support, includ-
ing loans totalling 1909, 1882, GIG
francs for agricultural and industrial
reconstruction in devastated depart
ment," the French people have re-
opened 5,345 out of 6,445 schools
existant before the war; built or re-
built 2S,200 temporary wooden and
16,800 permanent dwellings, and
erected 28,500 wooden barracks to
replace houses destroyed; cleared g.
$4,000 hectares Ia hectare is about
2 IL acres) out of 3,950,000 of barb
ed wire and trenches; employed l 800
men pumping out and cleaning up
flooded mines; rebuilt ATS out of 600
railroad bridges, with 80 more in
course of construction; reopened vir-
tually all of the LOO kilometers of
canals destroyed and rebuilt 1876
wharves and built rs new ones.
To-day, less than two years from
the Armistice, the population of the
invaded regions has grown from less
than 100000 to more than 4,O0O,-
600 approximately three-quarters of
the pre-war population" Mr.. Houston
says, adding that the return was
mot that of the prodigal son."
American committees have done
much to help France rebuild, Mr..
Houston declares, adding that intro
duction of farming machienry to the
French peasant probably was Ameri-
cas- best contribution.
'As a result to a considerable de-
gree of this mechanical assistance,
greatly increasing producing power
of the fewer workers, the devastated
regions in 1920 will raise enough
crops for food" he predicts.
On the industrial reconstruction
Of France, Mr.. Houston asserts that
100000 workers now are employed
in French mills and 1927 of the 81
sos factories destroyed in the war
have resumed production. During
the war the destruction in mill CEN
fers was very great, 80 per cent of
the textile mills in Lille having been
destroyed; all 40 mills in Armentie-
res wiped out; in Fourmies only 5O,-
eco bobbins remained out of 7OO,-
600 and RoubaiX and Turcoing had
the same degree of destruction"
so it was throughout the whole
industrial region of the north, the
great workshop of France" Mr..
Houston says. "The tale of rebuild
ing, now to be added to Franchmen' 5
annals, will always be a chapter OF
achievement, almost as important and
vital as the defense against the
German invasion"
By 1922, Mr.. Houston asserts,
France hopes to have her mines pro-
ducing again. with about 5000 MIN
ers working where 10000 labored
before the war. Within five or six
years after that she expects to be
working up to three-quarters of be-
fore-the-war production.
1.-The lie that France is not at
work should be scared on the lips
of everyone who utters it" writes
Mr.. Houston. ''If she is not at work,
how can she be retaining her fields,
rebuilding her roads and houses and
factories and town, and re-establish-
ing the shattered life over one-fifth
of her territory? That she is doing
that, anyone can see who visits
France or who takes the small trouble
to look up the facts. And she is do
ing it before she has received the
indemnity pledged to her by the
peace treaty and re-pledged again
and again hu euerNnna of her allies y