Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-07
Rate by Mail-Payable In Advance.
MARYLAND and Virginia,
All Other States and Canada.
Member Of the Associated Press.
Frances Turn Now.

To a United States latterly become
accustomed to hearing that France
alone among the nations of the earth
Is relatively immune to the ravages OF
depression it comes as something Of
shock to hear from Paris Of heavy
treasury deficits and mounting unem-
ployment Yet figures are now coming
to light indicating that the French in
fact have not escaped the economic
blight that has spread so devastatingly
across the face of the earth during the
past year and half.
While the United States Treasury
faces a deficit Of a billion dollars or
more and the British Parliament Is
convening in extraordinary session to
meet an exchequer shortage Of half q
billion, opulent France suddenly con-
fronts the necessity Of finding a quarter
Of a billion If her budget is to balance in
the early future. Although the amount
the French government has to raise is
much less than that which must be
stirred up In Washington or London,
the total, relative populations and re-
sources considered, is one that brings
Frances budgetary plight we'll up to
the ones with which MessrS. Mellon and
Enowden. respectively, have to cope.
France for five years and more has
prided itself upon being the only i'm
portant country in the world without
an unemployment problem. Now ON
eial labor authorities admit that there
are 100000 out of work, while trade
tanion spokesman, ridiculing government
claims, declare the number is nearer
100000. Along with unemployment,
French industry is said to be in the
midst OF critical conditions-"one of
the worst in its history" the New York
Times Paris correspondent reports
Foreign trade Is In q pronounced
slump. Compared with last year, French
exports toppled by s24o, 900, ooo while
imports fell 100000 600.
"Tourism," the quaint French idiom
For the business that is derived from
foreign visitors, mainly Americans, is
sn grave decline, too. In 1880 revenue
from that source aggregated a quarter
OF billion dollars. It was 500, o0o, 900
more than in 1929. This years pick
ings from "tourism" are now certain to
register a Is per cent decline from 1880
figures. For the first seven months of
1881 France exported to America only
300 900 900 francs worth Of goods, while
for the same period a year ago sales
mounted to a billion and half francs.
M. Berenger, who was French Am
bassador to Washington when the
French debt was funded two or three
years ago. writes in the Paris press
that governments fiscal charges have
reached the limit and that they must
be drastically reduced If French industry
IS not to come within the peril zone
These are startling statements from
the land that, next to ourselves, pos
Hesses the overwhelmingly largest pot
of monetary gold in the world, which
has been making French francs roll
to the republics political advantage
throughout Europe, as just evidenced
by the humiliation Of the AuStro-Ger-
man tariff union, and which only a
few days ago loaned fifty million
golden pounds to the Bank Of England
70 prevent disaster to the Old Lady of
Ehreadneedle street
II anybody in this country or else
where ever had any doubts about the
~orld-wideneSs Of business depression
and OovarpnoptoI 6no priol 1yicircJf,,doc
the news from France should clarity
che situation with the vividness Of a
liRhtning flash.