The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-02
U. 5. WAR SUPPLIES
 SOLD ID FRANCE
 CAUSING WRANGLE
Numerous Errors and Thefts Found After Purchase, Is Statement Made Dur
 ing Discussion
By Associated Press

Paris, April l. The disposal by the French government of American army stocks was discussed in the Senate last night during debate on the budget Sen ator Pierre Berger demanded information of the government as to whether many automobiles had not disappeared from American camps taken over by, the French authorities
 That is not disputed" replied Andrew Paisant, under secretary of commerce.. who was charged with the sale of the American stocks.
 Senator Berger, continuing. said he had feard of new ambulances being sold for three or four thousand francs at Camp Gievres on one day and being resold ln Paris the next day for loOoo or l2Go francs
 T will mention finally, apparatus for wireless telegraphy, new aud in perfeet condition with perfect magnetic sensts tiveness, said Senator Berger. DO vo | know what was done with that? 1 win. give you a thousand guesses That was sola by weight"
 At this there were exclamations bv inc senators. n Y
 Senator Berger continued his criticism of the French officials after which M taisant replied d length but with man interruptions and questions, saying in part:
 We bought the American stocks fo, AeV,00O0o9 the dollar being calculated at seven francs. It was understood pay ment was to be made in 10 years bear Ing interest. on the exchange rate of the collar the day payment is due We have sold from the stocks 2,557. .00o,000 francs worth, so that, considering payment is to be made 10 years hence it is quite pos sible to suppose the dollar will be at the normal exchange rate or near it. We have also about 1,20o 100000 francs worth still to sell
 The camps were transferred to us without detailed inventories. The Amer jeans reserved the right to take from the camps whatever was necessary for their existence until their departure from France and consequently, the stores wee diminished. Besides, there were numer- ous errors. Thus, on the one hand we counted upon i5.00O automobiles but only 25.000 were found. Of these 25GOO | yhi have been stolen. The guilty one an of ficer has been condemned. There yo'l have tue factss tr t~
 The officer responsible for the thefts as brought out by questions was a Frenchman, NJ. Paisant. after some fur ther explanations, said.
 T have just spoken of theft which l have been obliged to allude to with much delicacy It concerns the fault of ar individual and cannot in any fashion be thrown upon the great nation to which we in so large part owe our vic tcry.'
 This evoked much applause.
 After some desultory discussion the de- pate shifted to questions arising from the sale of French army stocks
 INVENTORY MADE
 Washington, April IA detailed inven- tory was made by French military off cials with the assistance of American army officers of surplus army stocks sold by the American expeditionary force to France after the .armistice according to his information. Secretary Weeks said today in commenting on last nights de- bate in the French senate. He added that he had no information to show that American officials had tampered wifi, The stock after they had sold it or in any way had been guilty of misrepresen fatlon in making the sale. It was re- called here today that former Secretary. Baker stated emphatcallv some time ago that the French authorjties made a detailed inventory of their purchase anl that French guards were placed over the stocks as soon as the transaction