Evening star., 1921-08-13
THREAT TFORCEDU.S s.
T0SELL WAR GOODS
Congress Astonished by
French Plan to Impose
Duty on Materials.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Members of Congress have been as
tonished this week by the disclosures
that the French government had at
tempted to impose tariff duty on war
materials shipped to France during the
war.
Congress learned for the first time
that France insisted that, if the
American government attempted to
carry back to the United States the
supplies remaining after the armistice,
a duty of about one hundred and fifty
million dollars would be imposed. AS
a consequence of this threat the
American liquidating commission sold
TO France for S400,000.000 property
originally valued at $1.700, 900, 900
Not only did France agree to waive
a tarin claim when the sale was made,
but promised that the goods would be
used for the benefit of the French peo-
PIE IN rehabilitating devastated areas.
Sells to Spectators.
Now it turns out that the French
government has sold most of the prom
erty to spectators and individuals,
VINO are trying to ship the goods to
tne United States and sell them here
at cut prices. The House of Repre-
sentatives has blocked the scheme
however. by adopting a resolution i'm
posing a tariff of 30 per cent on ali
SUCH goods, SO that none of them will be
ooupSu on american shores.
80 Iar as the rest of the world is
concerned, however, American auto
mobiles and trucks. leather and har-
ness goods, electrical equipment and
other American products, which were
originally intended for the use of the
aliled armies will be available at
prices far below those at which
American firms are offering their own
goods at this time.
NO explanation was made in Con-
gress OF the reason why the French
government violated the spirit of its
,uinae1standing ,ing with the American
iiquidatlng commission, and permit
ted the war material to fall into the
hands of spectators Indeed. the
American commission, of which Ed
win b. Parker and Gen. Dawes were
members. felt that in disposing of the
Is cents on the dollar. they were do
ing charitable thing.
Millions Worth Sent tn IT.
Instead. vast quantities have been
sold by the French government to
houses which have already sent to
the United States, free of duty, over
two and half million dollars worth
Of goods in the month of June alone
In preventing the entry of this kind
OF goods hereafter Congress takes
the position that 1t is merely nro-
tecting American firms against un-
fair competition.
incidentally, it has been disclosed
that the British government did moi
impose any tariff on goods sent from
the United States to Great Britain for
war purposes. but waived all tarifI
claims. The French government Sc,
up as a precedent the action of the
United States in dealing with SURPLUS
stocks left in the Philippine Islands al
the close Of the Spanish-American
war. the usual customs duties being
paid on such tax. AS matter OF
fact, the precedent was not valid. be-
cause Spain was the enemy of the
United States at that time and not an
ally.
The American commission, however
realized that it would cost a good dea
OF money to guard the large supplies
II they were not disposed of to the
French government. and that 1t would
take large number of American
troops to watch the supplies. So the
American commission found itselj
compelled to accept the French terms
and consoled itself with the idea tha,
the supplies would find their way In
small quantities to the French peo.
pie. who would thus be materially as.
sisted in the work Of reconstruction
Copyright, 1921