New-York tribune., 1920-11-12
French renaier
Says Nation Is
Nearing ABNORMAL q
Three Quarters of Indus
trial Plants Ruined by
War Again Running;
Lands Laid Waste Eesown
Confident of the Future
Wants Americans to Under
stand Gratitude Of People
for Part in Great Struggle
Special cable to The Tribsrc

CopyI isht. 1929. New York Tribune INC
PARIS. Nov. l1.-Premier Leygues.
who has been in Office two months and
has had the responsible task OF estab-
fishing political relations with Germa..v
and keeping a good understanding with
England, gave an account o. Frances
present position to the Tribune cor
respondent to-day. NJ. Leygues IS anx-
ious that Americans should understand
the gratitude OF the French people and
their .riendliness towara the United
States. lie spoke at some length. He
said:
The occasion OF Frances celeora-
ton OF the foundation of her republic
and the anniversary Of victory is a Mt
ting moment TO draw the attenton OF
the world, and especially of America.
TO the efforts France is now making
toward rcconstructlon lou have tsat-
eied through our devastated regions
and seen TIE condition to wh'cn orr
.lcnest provinces and most prosperous
Industries lave been reduced. in the
l9ntsnE zone tourlSllrg towns anG VII
lagos We're nothing iulus lm-
shattered Wlth shells We're lett uni. ~
cultivation. A vast 7rAc. Of country
had been sysoenati = Gc..-stated au
plliaged without military excuse Fac
tories farms, woods and orchards were
razed to the ground.
"Our enemies announced that France
would never recover from TINS ordeal
but the fac.s have beiet this prophecy.
As soon as the country emerged troM
the torture sne went 20 work The
most severely damaged departmea. $
set the example. The population, even
when without sh liter, returned 10 their
ielGs, factories and works shops. 10 de-
scribe The immensity OF the efforts
made by our peop.e one must nav
seen the result with ones own eyes
The railways and bridges of the
devastated region are 1o-lay recon
structed. Three-quar OF the indus
trial establishments have entirely q,
partly resumed work Fifty per cent
oI The ground laid waste has been le-
sown, and the harvest Of 1923 in hes-
districts supplied more than su.icien.
or their needs.
The mines Of the north. from which
no output was eNpected for scvsra
years because they lad been burn
and flooded by the enemy, produced
more AN&n -,,D',NVV tvt4- OIL Nycl ID III
t.rst ei ght months OF this year. Ia
1913 they mad given 200000oo IONS. es
half the whole output Of trace With
ihe increased production Frances COM
mercial balance is gradually rea asl-
ing itse,f, and the deficit, which W.
sixteen milliards os francs in tne frs
few months Of 1919. fell in TIE corr
spending period OF 1920 20 ten mi Hard s.
Imports still are suffering from the
need OF reconstituting the stocks Of
raw materials, but or purchases O.
manufactured articles remain station
ary and the Importation OF provision
ip lessening considerably. IS com
pared with last years figures. our cz-
ports have increased l48 per cent in
vaiue and 395 per cent IN weight
For this wor- OF rcconst struct on.
which demands great financial sacu-
fees, France not only receives nothing
from Germany, bat is obliged to aa-
vance Tor her account sums amounting
to about one miliard of francs month
y. Our country faces this expenditure