The Washington herald., 1920-03-23
FRANCE MAKES
RAPID STRIDES
Progress Of Reconstruction
Surprising Since Armis-
tice Was Signed.
WORK IN FULL SWING
French People Have Taken
Hold With Will to Place
Nation on Firm Footing.
WORK IN FULL SWING

With reconstruction in France In
full swing and with business and
financial conditions growing more
encouraging daily, the entire coun-
try is experiencing an economic and
physical recovery from the drain OF
war more rapid than is generally
realized. according to recent statis-
tics and information presented in
the booklet Greater France" just
issued by the Guarapty Trust Com
pany Of New York.
Progress Surprising.
In part, the publication says:
France, instead of idling. as some
observers have reported after a
cursory survey of the country, has
accomplished in the last year SO
stupendous a task that one maryels
how the work has been done.
Seventy-six thousand structures had
been erected or repaired by the end
of August 1919, and 10000 addition
al buildings were then under con-
struction. About $4,000 buildings
were destroyed or damaged during
per cent of the destroyed railroad
trackage had been rebuilt, an area
of 1,500 square miles of shell riddled,
tillable land cleared up. s0.0oo.000
cubic yards of trenches filled, 991,-
900 refugees returned to their
homes, 5000 schools reopened. and
3,S72 civic communities reorganized.
The French people have made
surprising progress In the period
since the armistice in readjusting
to a peace basis. AS early as Feb
ruary. 1919, the minister Of indus
trial reconstruction reported that
out of a total of 100000 employees
occupied on November IL, 1918, in
a group of government and private
plants, 100000 were already en-
gagged in peace time pursuits. A
later investigation conducted in
1856 industrial plants in the occu-
pied area employing more than
twenty workmen each, shows that
by November l. 1919, total of 1855
establishments had resumed opera
tion. By November Is, 1919, the
government had made advances in
excess of 5000, 100000 francs TO the
Industrial interests of this region
for the reconstruction of their fac
tories, and the budget for 1920 pro-
vides for the expenditure of nearly
5000, 100000 francs during the first
quarter for the same purpose.
The French Colonies.
During 1920 France will need
/ about $3.50. 200, 900 worth of food
stuffs and raw materials, as follows:
Foodstuffs, s15O.0O0,000; cotton,
$500. 900. 900; copper. $4,000. 900: oil,
$4,000. 900; chemicals. tobacco, met
] allurgic products, fuel oil and coal.
$3.50. 100000. A great proportion OF
these needs will be filled by French
colonies, while the manufacturing
capacity of France will require new
outlets, so that these colonial pos
sessions will undoubtedly play a
most important part in the develop
ment of French industry. Notwith-
| standing the fact that the enormous
resources of the French colonies are
only slightly developed, their
foreign trade in 1913 totalled S6oS.-
S00.0 900. about one-fourth as much
as that of France proper.
Southern France.
The South of France has been
great factor in the wealth of the
! entire country, and particularly in
it's successful industrial support OF
the war and rapid recovery since
the armistice. Before the war the
richest industrial sections of France
were in the northeast and east, near
| the rich coal deposits. but it is
safe to say that pre-war conditions
will no longer prevail, owing to the
great development during the last
five years of the noninvaded re-
| gions of France. The tendency on
the part of industry to shift toward
the south to take advantage of the
undeveloped resources was notice
able even before the war, and was
given a decided impetus with the
| ~ hnSfilifiaS"