The Washington herald., 1922-07-25
DEVASTATED AREA
OF FRANCE IS AGAIN
Being CULTIVATED
Figures Reveal Gigantic
Work. Accomplished
In Reconstruction.
REFUGEES RETURN
Erect 10000 Baildinss TO Re
place Structures Ruined
In War.


PARIS. July 24.-In a special in
terview N. Charles Rebel. minister
Of liberated regions. outlined the
gigantic work France has accom-
piishsd to date in the reconstruc-
tion Of her devastated regions.
The minister first sketched rough
" sthe somber task confronting
France at the moment Of the arm
istice-ten departments. the wealth.
lest Industrial regions OF France.
completely ruined by four years OF
occupation and devastated by q
struggle without precedent In his
tory; a crushing war debt Of two
hundred milliards francs; an un-
favorable exchange; a particularly
grave economic crisis; end her rail-
ways badly run down during the
war.
The disaster was immense and
at frst sight seemingly irreparable.
But from the moment Of the armis-
tIce everyone courageously set him.
self to work. The work accom-
plished to the present moment is
gigantic and the results the most
encouraging.
.T will give you some figures
which give with simple and power
full eloquence an idea Of the work
accomplished during the past three
years.
Refugee. Retyrn.'
I'm 1914. the population Of tho
devastated regions was 4.es0.ooo. In
June, 1922, IL was 4.oos.Ofs. AT the
signing of the armistice the popuia-
ton was 2.075.067. In other woros.
more than 2.5oO,Ooo Of people mao
returned to their homes-an event
without precedent In history. Most
of the refugees have been lodged
in repaired houses or provisional
shelters
ITO aid in the work Of recon
struction 2,o6e cooperative socie'
ties have ben created with a mem
bership of 1i7.711. These societie'
are supported by the State in which
has advanced 1000, 900. 900 francs &c
them-
"of s.2e5 communes where the
municipal life was completely OF
almost completely suspended s.2s:
have resumed their normal rune
tions.
"Regardinr the soil itself. OF g.
337. 600 hectares Of land devastated
an area of 3.o43.o0O hectares ha;
| been cleared OF shells and mors
than 2s3.0eo.O0o of meters ol
trenches filled.
Restoring Farms-
AT the armistice the area Of land
/ formerly under cultivation which
/ had to be reconstructed was l.S22.
/ 600 hectares. In the department.
OF the Somme and the Pas-de-calai'
the entire cultivated areas had q
be reconstructed. 1t was a heav,
task. But more than 100000 hec
tares have been put under cultiva-
tion.
These results have passed all ex-
psctations. because now the ten de
| partments produce not only enough
grain for their own consumption
but they even contribute to the sup
ply of the rest OF ths country.
These brilliant results have bee
obtained by the stubborn courag
eousness of the French peasan
supported by the administration.
Likewise more than SOC. 1000 hea
OF cattle, horses and other domesti
animals have been replaced eithe
by purchase or breeding. Cultiva
ton by motor tractors has been uti
lized over wide areas.
THE reconstruction OF comnuni'
cations-roads, railways and bridges
has been just as encouraging.
''Of 56.130 kilometers of roads
which had to be reconstructed
about % 1000 kilometers have beer
improved and 23.5OO kilometer:
completely restored.
Repairing Railways.
tine same effort has been ac-
complished in repairing the rail.
ways which were destroyed, 2.22;
k'lometers are now restored. The
railways Of major Importance have
all been entirely reconstructed.
From the Industrial viewpoint
the rehabilitation is proceeding un-
der equally favorable conditions
considering that the factories had
suffered particularly severely dur
ing the war. BY bombardment, fire
/ or pillage 22.16l factories had beer
ruined. This was an immense dis.
aster. but thanks to the collabora.
lion Of the public authorities and
private initiative. the triple prob.
lem of labor. msterial and transport
was solved. On the first of Juns
about $4,000 factories had recon,
menced operations.
The financial burden which hsi
been imposed upon France to OBJ
tain these results is heavy. consid
ering that il has been borne by tn,
French nation itself as an advanc,
upon the debt due from Germany
At the present time the sum
spent for the reconstruction Of ou
devastated regions has reached q
milliards OF francs and still tn,
task that remains is immense.
Can we finish it2 do not hest
tate to reply affirmatively. but onl!
upon the con6itfon that Gerrap