New Britain herald., 1929-11-08
TRAFFIC IN PARIS
 IS GROWING WORSE
Twisted, Narrow Streets Are damned by Mutitudinous Autos

Paris, Nov. s. UP).-With 20,- 900 new cars on the streets of Paris this winter, the city traffic authori- lies will have a problem in traffic Congestion unequalled in any other metropolis.
 The spraWling, struggling narrow streets of Paris are even worse for traffic than London avenues which offers the nearest comparison. In area the French capital is very small, since for hundreds of years it has been confined within the giant walls which formed the forti- tication all around it. Now with the walls broken down the city is spread angout to the country, but that does- mt help much.
 In the heart of the city itself the streets usually have the same width today which they had in the days of the. First Empire. when an occasional barouche was the only sign of traffic. Thorough fares which were built Is to 20 feet wide now have to carry loads of motor traffic which normally would require at least 100 feet.
 U. s. Plans Adopted
 Many American traffic schemes have been put into operation by the energetic Chief of Police, Chi appe. One-way streets. detours, traffic towers have made their ap- pearance during the past few years, hIlt hn u-h i seems almost as if all the ingenu- ity in the handling of hundreds of thousands of cars at the rush hours would prove ineffective against the shortage of road space.
 Even if the tremendous job of widening the Paris streets were started 50 years of work would be necessary. It required exactly half a century to build the present mag nificent and wide Boulevard Haussman, which was conceived by the Baron Haussman. the Seine Prefect under the Second Empire Haussman saw the need for a great central artery in Paris and car lied out many reforms in the plan ming of the city.
 At the present time France has %1,200,o0O cars. While twenty thou sand will probably be ad1e to the number in Paris after the present automobiles exposition, the total addition for the whole country probably will be 3O0,00O, thus mak- ing an average of about one auto for every 30 inhabitants. This does not seem much compared with the American quota of one auto for every five persons but France 'sorely lacks the space of She United States.
 Production Boosted
 Whatever may be done to relieve the traffic pressure insthe big towns like Paris, the auto mannfactur- CTS themselves are going ahead with greater and greater mass pro- duction and the most intense pub licity, while the Government is en- couragins them. urging the adop- tion of American production meth- ods. The Governments viewpoint Apparently is that the automobile is a powerful potential war weapon and France must keep abreast of progress.
 The French authorities also keenly realize the economic power of auto production. Said M Pierre Forgeot, Minister of Public Works. speaking recently at the an- nual Automobile Salon in Paris / "The economic battle is go- ing to be a battle of automobiles.
 America, England and Germany realized this before we did and de luxe taxes have completely disap- peared in those countries. Last year France prod Iced 225,000 cars worth six milliard francs of which 50,000 were exported for a total value Of 1900 million francs. Seven of our principal producers make 89 per cent of our output If the French industry is organized We can compete with any nation in the world mark cts"
 The minister stressed the power Of America in the automobile mark cts of the world.
 America is the worlds principal competitor in the coming motor war" he declared. "She benefits by unique and inccmparablo economic situation. Her immense domestic markets. her admitted technical, qualities, her concentra- -- tion of effort and her policy of high salaries permit her to come over here and undersell us"