Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-30
No DECADENCY IS
EVIDENT IN FRANCE
BY ANDRE TARDIEU
Former French High Commissions
To America.
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1921

(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1929
PARIS, Aug. 27.-Davld Lloyd
George called France nervous. Yet
our reconstruction and reorganiza-
ton is proceeding vigorously.
France is. not decadent. The pop
ulation SO reduced by the war, is
being rebuilt. There were more than
twice as m. ~ marriages in 1920
as there were in 1913. Using the
same years for comparison, there
has been II per cent improvement
in the ratio of births to deaths.
AS to the economic situation, the
show an increase Of two hundred
and eleven per cent as between the
years 1913 and 1920. The assets Of
five Of the greatest banks of all
France show an increase of SO
per cent for the same years and the
deposits register an increase of At
per cent.
The production of breadstuffs
shows an increase of six per cent
for the same period. Other increases
have been: Sugar beets, 90 per cent;
cattle Is per cent; railroad ton,
miles, 29 per cent.
General commerce, as compared
with pre-war times, shows an i'm
provement of 200 and IS per cent
in France proper, and 149 per cent
in the colonies. Of course, the
higher prices prevailing today must
be taken into consideration with
these latter figures.
At the same time France is work
ing hard to restore order to her fl
get for 1922 is one billion five hun
bred million francs, less than for
1921. There is to be no resort to
loans for the ordinary budget Of
twenty-five billion francs, but only
for reconstruction and replacement
Of equipment
At a moment when my comrades
ing France, 1 think these figures
will be even more welcome than
ELOQUENT phrases. A nation which
suffered as France suffered during
the war and which works as hard
as France works, is neither nerv-
oSs nor agitated. 1t is a nation
which desires justice. nothing more,
nothing less.
Of course, 1t must be admitted 1t
will take decades to complete the
reconstruction and reha bllltatlon OF
France if Germany, the conquered
aggressor in the war, is permitted
to ignore and evade her Obligations.
now so far in arrears.
Taking a further illustration from
a comparison of the years 1913
and 1920, France lost between that
time by war deaths and war dis
ablement two and one-half million
Frenchmen. Yet, thus weakened,
France carries the following bur-
den: o-o
Local taxes, increase of II per
Public debt, increase of 654 per
Our English friend, J. Maynard
KEYNES, VINO now writes for the
German papers, chooses this mo-
ment to declare Germany panKrupt.
Germany was not devastated and
that her economic burdens are as
nothing compared to ours:
During the 81 months o., Of war EsTu our
production Of foodstuffs W vas Sd red cent
and sugar beets 70 per cent. The
number of our horses declined AZ
Der cent; cattle 81 per cent; sheep
"a per cent; hogs So per cent.
simultaneously our industrlsa!!
capital was reduced more than 70
northeast provinces.
Despite all this we are WORKING
to meet our obligations ana WIZ
do SO, despite the fact that our
debt which was only thirtyiI 1crea e ead
to two hundred and siXty-five l biI-
lions at par, or three hundred bill
lions, if our foreign debt is figured
' This is a debt for France Of be-
tween fifty-three and sixty b1l 5nq11
dollars as against the American dept
of approximately half that IAN amo INT
Of Germany! And yet they say Ger
many cannot pay!
France is not only trying to pay
hut il ACCOMPLISHING.