Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-20
FRANCE CUTS COAL
IN BRITISH STRIKE
Better Able to Stand Reduc-
ton in Supply Now Than
Formerly.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER-
By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily New
Copyright. 1920.

BY Cable to The Star ana Cnlcdso bahy 4'e"''
Copyright. 1870.
PARIS, October 20.-The British
coal strike finds France somewhat
better prepared than If 1t had broken
out a couple of months ago. Theo-
Iretically needing about 65,O00,ooo tons
Of coal year. France produces
Is, O00, 900 tons a year. She has been
getting 100000 tons a month from
Britain and 100000 tons from Bel
GUM. This month 100000 tons is ex-
pected from the United States. and
heavy shipments are coming from
Germany.
The temporary suspension Of the
British shipments would be more serl-
Gus except that after 1alnng TOT
Germany, under the double per
suasion of the threat to occupy the
Ruhr basin in case OF default ana the
promise Of an advance by france OF
money with which to buy food ior
her obligations. At Spa the Germans
promised to supply 100000 tons
month. They delivered $4,000 tons IN
June, 9o4, 0G0 in July and the 1nii
amount In August and September.
Consumption Reduced.
In France, as nearly everywhere
else, the consumption Of ooal, both by
individuals and industries. has been
reduced to a minimum. The steady
rise ii, the price OF all commodihes 10
France as we'll as In Britain ana the
United States has been such that the
people are beginning to refuse to buy
and the factories. even with the pres
emit low productions, are anding tnsm,
voluntary break in prices with conse-
quent labor troubles or OF over-pro.
duction which in the end will result
in a break in prices anyway. nave
been informed that in France certain
industries even now are NOT con-
suming their limited quotas OF coal.
These considerations make the Brit
ish coal strike less formidable than
would otherwise have been the case.
Looks Colby ON Strike.
France looks upon this strike colby.
1t is pointed out that whereas In 1914
the British miners earned shillines
l penny ($1.7O) for an eight-hour day,
they now earn IL shillings pence
{S4.s8) for seven hours. and are al
lowed coal for home use. Moreover.
whereas in 1913. 100000 miners dug
some $4,000, 900 tons in 1890, l,20S'0p0
miners at the recent rate will produce
only 24O, 900, 900 tons. France ana every
other foreign purchaser mas 10 pay
three times the British domestic price
because of the government export Tax.
While realizing that Britain, being
short of food and rich in coal, is
obliged to make the coal pay Tor the
food. the French resent this export
tax. which they call paying tribute
to britain" The British governments
annual profit on the sale OF coal
abroad is recRoned at f66.000.000 lnor-
maIIy s330. 100000 The miners de-
mand. as the French understand II,
10 that the government should forego
this profit, devoting f27.000,000 c?l3S...
ono o00) to Increasing the miners
wages and the rest to reducing the
domestic price of coal. This, now
ever. would mean that the govern.
ment must raise f66,0Oo.UyO throus
other taxes, and would therefore oe
Of public funds. AS. the French will
doubtless be partially dependent on
British coal for many years to come
| they hope to see the miners beaten.
France Second i'm supply.
France, with the recovery OF Lor-
raine, has become the second iron pro-
; ducing country in the world, ana nd ne p
need for coal, especially cokipg coal, Is
hound to increase. Much interest is
accordingly being shown in the de-
yelopment of the nations waterpower,
! which is estimated to be potentially
equivalent to 100000 tons.
! There is also considerable interest
| in q Standard Oil subsidiary just In
| corporated here with the aid OF a
group of French banks. the object OF
which is to find and develop oil fields
| in France and her colonies.