The Arizona copper camp., 1920-10-09
OBSERVATIONS IN FRANCE,
BELGIUM AND ENGLAND
Observations of Stone and webste'

/
artichokes and found that the largest
ones sold for three cents.
We interviewed prominent bankers
and business men and officials con-
nected with the government. All
seemed perfectly optimistic as re-
CARDS the ultimate recovery of France,
declaring it simply question of time
They felt that great deal depended
on the allies insisting that Germany
live up to treaty obligations, and what
they feared most was that England
and America would be lukewarm and
allow Germany to back out of some
of her promises. The one situation
that seems serious is coal, which is
going to be very difficult the coming
winter. Germany has delivered only
small proportion of coal promised,
and England has fallen short in deliv
cries to France, This, particularly
with the recovery. of French industry,
will mean serious shortage this win
ter unless supply can he increased,
and it looks as though additional coal
would have to be imported from Amer
lea or other outside source.
They have recently passed new
tax law which they feel will take care
of deficits they have had in govern
ment operation. and if receipts amount
to as much as they anticipate, it
should enable them not only to take
care of expenses but to begin sinking
fund payments.
Belgium seems nearly on normal
basis. Destruction, while great in
amount, in percentage was much less
than in France; though manufactur-
ing establishments were crippled by
removal of machinery into Germany,
in quite large proportion of cases
they have been able to get it back, so
that many industries are somewhere
near normal production. Business
seems good, and we look for quick re-
| CON0Ey 10 uOTuldl
Labor Conditions Better
The labor situation in France and
Belgium has gone through the unrest
experienced all over the world. While
not wholly satisfactory in either coun-
try, conditions were much Eetter than
before, and the feeling was that the
general efficiency Of labor was i'm
proving and that they might antici-
pate an increase in production and de-
crease in cost as time went on.
Though they had had some severe
railway strikes before we landed, and
many told us it might take two or
three days from Cherbourg to Paris,
the train left promptly and reached
Paris before nine that evening. On
our return to London the train ran
about an hour ahead of schedule. On
the trip to Brussels the train was on
time, going and coming, though as it
crossed the devastated area the sched-
ule is seven hours instead of four.
Those we talked with feel we'll sat
isfied with the present French govern
ment 1t seems to have the confidence
of the business people. Feeling toward
the Germans is apparently as bitter
as ever. There is very little fear in
France of a Bolshevistic movement;
the fundamental reason is that about
80 per cent of the population are land
or property owners. Confidence is
felt that Russia will eventually work
out all right.
Bankers and business men in Eng
land seemed to feel more apprehen
sion in regard to unsettled conditions
in Central Europe, and their effect or
trade of the world, than the same
class in America feel. The bankers
told us every effort was being made
to curtail credit extension to mer
chants and manufacturers, and that
the business world must realize that
in view of the expansion in credit ant
the unsettled conditions, it was nc
time to expand when economy must
he the watchword.
In the first year after the armistice
England expanded more rapidly thar
the volume of business justified, ant
for two or three months curtailmen
in many lines had been necessary
Labor conditions in England are still
unsettled, but there is less apprehen
sion of a general upheaval than yeal
ago. Sporadic strikes occur frequent
ly, but now represent individual
groups rather than co-ordinated actor
of the laboring class as a whole. Ship
uordc havo haon dnmoralized first hy