Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-09-15
lRENCH COLONIES
 SOURCE OF RICH
 NATIONAL REVENUE
x |!ival in Value Possessions of
 Great Britain: Good E Crop Reports

IT
 New York, Sept. Unusual progress III thb development of commerce and 4nkural resources in the French col tnial possessions and dependencies Bap brought them wealth ranking Next to that of the British colonial Empire, according to survey made public here by the French Commis- ton. The French colonies, with an Sstimated population of 50,500,O0 1ye an area of 100000 square liles.
 Total exports from the colonies in A017, with the exception of Algeria md Tunis were valued at approxi- lnately 1,108,000,000 francs. Since 10A4 exports in the various posses,- 3Ons increased from 25 to 100 per Sent. The increases are attributed &p the thrift of natives following the yarss ending.
 s Total Alegrian exports in 1919 were nore than 1884, ,000,000 francs an in- xoase of about 558 millions over 9l6. The port of Algiers alone hsndled eports approximating 475,- 4k8y00O francs, an increase of 20O,-
 900 francs, according to esti- ates. Chief imports were cotton, &)pthing and linen, skins, coal, sugar 1nd coffee. Chief exports were wines, 80lts, tobacco, wheat, oats, barley wool. Amounts of imports and pofts were greatest in the order entioned. National roads in Algeria have a neth Of 3,310 miles, while 2,203 tles of railway were open for traf- < E in January 1919.
 nnis, essentially an agricultural o0ntry had bumper grain crops in
 n follows: Wheat 6,5OO,55
 hels; barley, 5,42s,223 bushels;
 ,722 bushels. The cork in- 4etLy is important, cork trees GOV
 1n9I more than 100000 acres. The
 null mineral production averages
 xs3ue more than 30,0O0,0O0 francs.
 Billion Franc Crop
 I'm spring estimate of the 1920 1xv4st on the French zone of the
 6yoeco valued the crops at 1,0O0,- 0,00O francs, and it was expected Aere would be large surplus for
 port, the survey states. Exports xance in 1918 were valued at
 ,88O francs, the imports at ,026 francs.
 he French possessions in India
 nslst of five seperate colonies HI m aggregate area of 1860 4nAre miles. Rice, sugar, cotton, Sooa, coffee and ground nuts are FoWn. The principal exports from dichrery, the chief possession, is nil aeeds.
 M Frsnch Indp-China has a popula- ion. of about 17,00O,0OO. The terri 2 oxy tributary to Saigon is almost
 tirely agricultural, being one of
 HIT ereat rice regionsof the world. ID minerals are coal, Ignite, wolf nm, tin and zinc.
 & |Ss III the other possessions, including \ 1ad5gascar, French Equatorial Af- French Somaliland and French # XII Africa, which is the largest of colonies, commerce has almost 9Nbled since 1914, the survey says. < Eeneh West Africa, comprised of 4neRal, Huat-Senegal-N Niger, French Military territory of the Niger
 dinl the Ivory Coast, Dahomey, Nd auretania, covers approximate [ 900 square miles. The gener- bJ eet amounts to about 25,000,- rancs annually. The agricul- E&ptnl sresourecs are most important. he Production of cotton is growing, thtle jute, agava and sisal are cul- < &Vnt6 extensively. Rubber is the est 8mportant product in the for xSSSk 6ources. Cattle raising has in- S&reasld. The mineral wealth is feat The commerce of this possess m Increased 500 per cent since the x6n administration was created in
 h6 French colonies in America, snafsting of Guina, Martinique, padeloupe and St. Pierre and Mi zGRelSN are principally noted for their SmI n products, sugar, rum. cocoa 1a1 odfish. Agriculture takes an
 HIM kant role in the smaller pro- xine9 especially in New Caledonia. 1ld b be one of the richest coun- xiea n the world.