The New York herald., 1921-02-17
PROFIT In SUPPLIES
DESPITE PILLAGE
Sold by France for Enough to
Pay Cost, Though Pill
lage Is Charged.
SALE NOT PHILANTHROPY
One Officer Said to Have For
warded 1,500 Cadillac Au-
tOmobiles to e. s.

Special Cable to THE NEW foRK HERALD.
Copyright, 1921. oy THE NEW yoRx HskAlp.
New York Herald Bureau.
Faris, Feb. 10.
With the first instalment OF $2o.oo0.-
900 payable to the United States for
American army stocks sold to the French
Government falling due this month. op-
position has developed In the Chamber OF
Deputies to the payment of this install
ment until Americas bill for the supplies
is revised. The opposition is based on
the charge made by French officials. and
reported in THE NEW YORK HERALD last
week, that American army officers and
privates stole millions of francs worth
OF these supplies after they had actually
been handed over to French control.
Although the Deputies were Informed
that stocks already sold by France have
brought in more than 5000, 100000
francs, sufficient to cover Americas total
claim OF S400.000,000. payment of which
Is spread over twenty years, 1t 10 plain
that the Chamber does not favor making
any payments until the exchange rate re-
turns to the basis Of seven francs to the
dollar. upon which basis the transaction
was negotiated nearly two years ago.
Shouts of "You are right" greeted
declaration in the Chamber by Emmanuel
Brousse, formerly charged with the
liquidation of these army stocks. that 1t
would be unjust to pay for what has
actually been stolen by the Americans
themselves" NJ Brousse asserted that
deductions must be made for the value
of all objects diverted after the deal was
closed" He confirmed statements made
by NJ. Despax. another Deputy, ana
which were reported in THE NEW YORK
HERALD. regarding alleged pillaging OF
the army camps by American troops.
1.sOo Automob;fes 'Oflcers's Loot.
"At the moment Of tire purchase" NJ.
Brousse said, "the stocks were In COM
plete turmoil. and as soon as they were
unloaded from the ships they We're
packed into camp warehouses. From
July. 1919, after the sale OF the stocks
to France. a veritable campaign OF loot
ing was organized by Americans re-
naming in the camps Privates were
not the only cuiprits. Certain officers
committed important robberies. Indeed,
one officer forwarded to the United
States 1900 Cadillac automobiles be-
longing to France" Mr. Brousse inti-
mated he had about completed a search
ing investigation into the nature and
extent of the merchandise thus stolen.
While condemning these alleged thefts
Dy Al1eTiCdH lIOOps, -,l- LoiOuSSc toIlit-
ted that the French Government was in
part responsible for the losses because
of lack OF vigilance. For instance, q [
Camp Gievres. covering an area Of Is
square miles, the Americans maintained
guard OF $4,000 soldiers. but when
the French took over the camp only 500
sentries were posted
At the same time NJ. Brousse contend !
ed that France would have gained
greater profit from the sale of these |
American army stocks IL. French mid |
campaign to the effect that the Amer
leans sold these stocks to the French
Government on q philsnthropic basis, |
in an effort to reduce the cost of living
here"
Naturally we sold the stocks cheap"
he continued, but spectators, on the
other hand, resold them at great profit. |
Let us hear no more of the myth of
American philanthropy in this sale. The
Americans we're business men, and, In
reality. they tried to sell to US at the
highest possible price"
NJ. Brousse criticised the granting OF
priority purchase rights to certain for
eign Governments. such as that of the
Ukraine, who. after claiming it's option,
did not carry out the purchase but
left the materials rotting In the camps
for more than a year
wouldn't Sell to League.
1t was revealed that even the League
OF Nations tried to take advantage of
the army camp muddle. but NJ Brousse
sent the leagues representative away
crestfallen. refusing to sell to him for
the purpose to which he wanted to put
the stocks.
"An English dipIomatist asked me in
the name OF the leag que to supply e.00o, 900
francs worth OF goods to facilitate the
repatriation of prisoners from central
Europe" he said. who are these
prisoners?' / asked. Mostly Germans
he replied. You ask France to give
goods worth 5000, 900 francs to Germans!
You will not get single centime!' !
replied"
Amid laughter NJ. Hrousse added:
That is how I sent the League OF
Nations on it's way"
NJ. Brousse made the startling state
ment that ships are still arriving from
the United States with goods for the
French Government which were con-
tracted for during the war. but fine no
one at French ports 10 supervise un-
loading or to check deliveries. zone
vessel" he said, the wilfred Laurier |
could not unload cargo Of steel and
threw Il overheard"
NJ. Brousse was asked by the Minis
try of Finance to formulate charges in
connection with the alleged theft of
army supplies by American troops so
that representations might be made to
a.