Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-27

Somehow 1t is hard now to hear the
boots of the Paris hoodlums for the
tender music OF 'Une Mere Fran
caise."
The barbarism of the hoodlums is
the most serious stab at Frances
veal for a generation. 1t is so amaz-
inSly inopportune and costlyl
1t came at the moment America
was unwilling at Brest the beautiful
and significant monument by Mrs.
Harry Payne Whitney, representing
an eagle perched upon a rocky peak,
ready to soar, while bearing upright
between its outspread pinions an
American soldier with hand uplifted,
holding aloft a great sword, like a
holy croSS-"The Crusader"
The mobbing of American tourists
comes in the face of the estimate by
the French national tourist office that
last year tourists spent in France
1900, 100000 francs.
1t comes even while the American
Legion is organizing the holding of
its ninth annual meeting next year
in Paris, with Gen. Pershing as ma
tional commander of the Second
A. f. F., when another bridge of
ships" would be needed to carry over
the boys who once so Justify sang:
I'VE won't go home till it's over, over
there" Will the French greet the
Legionnaires with: "Bienvenue, nos
amis?" or will hoodlums send the
message: France wants no Ameri-
can tourists. and will not welcome
the men who saved the Marine and
turned back the Meuse-Argonne in
vasion of the Huns?
X x xx
France is not bankrupt; it is rated
induStrially and commercially as one
of the richest nations in the world.
Its devastated regions have been re-
paired. All it's industries are work
ing full time, and there is little unem-
ployment. In view of the over
demand for labor, foreign workmen
are invited to enter the country, and
the net immigration over emigration
of laborers and skilled mechanics
amounts to more than 5000 week.
The imitation of currency, while
reducing the exchange value of the
franc, is not felt seriously in do
mestic use, though that fact gives
false economic security to the
finances. Manufacturers make great
paper profits" while making up the
raw material imported when the
franc had higher exchange value; but
when in turn they seek to reinvest
the profits in additional raw material
imports they discover that they are
actually producing at loss.
Wages have increased, as compared
with those of 1913, but not in pro-
portion to increased cost of living
certainly not when measured in world
exchange. The average retail price
indices, based on 100, in July, 1914,
show as follows:
,oo France Great Britain United States
1879 1879 4422SS 2 27S 1 1ss
Direct tax amounts to only s0.4S
! francs per year. Tax on real prop
erty is 10 per cent Of its rental in
come. The hooting hoodlums pay
less than So year tax.
Yet, while cost of living has multi
| piled by five, since the beginning Of
| the war, wages have not kept pace.
| even as measured in paper francs.
| In 1911 compositorS in Paris were
| paid As of a franc e cents per hour;
in 1925, francs &c cents. Plumbers
| in 1911, 80 of a franc rs cents per
| hour; in 1925, a francs 70 cents. Car
| penters in 1911, 1 franc Q9.5 cents
per hour; in 1925, $50 francs Is cents.
Laundresses in 1911, 40 franc e cents;
| in 1925, francs % cents. In 1911
franc was worth in exchange 1875
cents gold: today, outside of France
or in exchange, it is worth only a
| little over cents.
Nevertheless, tourists find even
Paris almost the cheapest place to
live in the world, If payment be made
in American money. A room with
bath in a respectable hotel costs only
so francs about $1.10) q day; a table
d'hote dinner, including wine, served
not far from the Arc de Trtumphe,
costs 8 francs about 20 cents), though
at a really fashionable hotel it may
cost as high as 35 francs $50 eentsl
From the standpoint Of living econ
omy the American at home might ex-
claim: Lafayette, why are we here
instead OF in Sunny Tor Sullkyl
F'rance?''
tCopyright. 1929. By Paul v. cclllnsl