New Britain herald., 1920-08-16

FRANK II. JOHNSTON.
 European Allied countries as a mem Der of the American committee of twelve which went abroad to attend tho organization congress of the in- ternationsl Chamber of Commerce.
 The international Congress.
 The allied governments O. Be;gium. England. France, and Italy were also represented al the international con- gress. The prime purpt SC of the con- gress was to prepare The way for a better commercial understanding be- tween the allied nations and all the countries of the world and to estab- fish trade relations which had not ex- isted before and to strengthen those olready existing. The congress was a success an1 the committees into which entire conference was divided were treated with the utmost attention and respect by the various governments and the reports and suggestions of the congress will be carried out as far us practical.
 Congress Subdixided.
 Thers were four main sub-diyi- sions. of the whole congress-. finance and banking. shipping and transpor- 'tation, fuel supplies and raw mate rials and general reconstruction. MT. Johnston specialized on the latter two sections. In ardition to the organiza- ton committees of each country there were over 500 delegates in attend Gnce representing the different finan- ciaI, industrial and commercial inter ests and over i50 of these were from the United states.
 Industrial Conditions.
 'Industriat conditions and living in this country are so far superior to those of any country in Europe that if our own people could only be brought to realize this. there would be mighty little bolshevism and so- ctalism in this country" said Mir. Johnston. While wages arc every where double or more. taxes are op- pressivc. governmental waste still ex- cessive and general living expenses arc very hign. Sugar in England is still Tationed at one half pound or a cupful per person in each family and was held at 32 to 34 cents a pound. Coal in France Is s35 to s3s per ton and so scarce even at the price as to be used only in case of necessity Money in France is of the printing press kind like our old shin plasters and all of the small denominations unutI nNG NOHSiFN VI paper issued by the banks. the gov ernment. and any Chamber of Com merce. When you receive change for a five franc note you will get d con- siderable proportion of postage stamps and they arc a decided nuis- anco to handle. The usual small sil- yer coins }. the continent have prac- ticnlIy disappeared fsom sight.
 Under these conditions of imitation it will take a long time for readjust- ment hut the French people are in- tcnsely patriotic in their determina- ton to rebuild their country quickly 20 as to be prepared for the next great conflict which in their minds is only a question of time. Although tired and worn out the old hatred among the French people for the enemy seems to be more intense than ever before and if you could have spent the days with us in the devastated re- gions of France and Belgium and Italy you would soon develop a de- cided Kindred spirit to these nations and horror to the war tactics of the Huns.
 Visits BattlcfeIdS.
 We were invited by the French | to visit the great battle- fields in the Verdun. St. Mihiel, Sois- | son. Chateau Thierry. 1pres and Ar ras sections and were given official | attention by those officers who had | seen service in each of these sections. | IL would be impossible to describe the | there: hundreds of small villages with not a single house left i standing. cities of the stZe of | New Britain completely obliterated. | churches and cathedrals hundreds of | years old destroyed beyond repair. ! vast orchards were everywhere torn | up so as 10 destroy every chance of l thousands of acres of | beautiful country SO full of shot and | and shell much Of it unexploded as to be a monaco for any farmer to re- claim: coal mines in the Lille and | Lens sectors so destroyed and food cd that it will take years to recon struct and al this is only little of what these countries went through"