The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-08-16


France rs gathered I'm q recent
nuto trip to 20 cities and towns In
that area during which nearly 200
men were interviewed. Trip made
during q leave of absence and while
making an industrial survey for
some French interests during July,
1885,
By ROBERT J. EUsTACE
Industrial and Foreign Trade COM
missioner, Toledo, Ohio, Cham
Der of Commerce
France has always been a united
country, always with one capital,
Z yet France is divided into two
very distinct units as far as the
American traveller Is concerned,
namely, Paris, and the remainder
OF the country.
This article concerns a human
lied trip of the writer through the
northern part of France just a few
weeks ago, the rehabilitated area
IN particular. To properly enjoy
any country 1t is paramount that
you relax-remember other races
think differently than we do. SO
these brief statements tell you just
the kind of people you will meet,
and some of the things you will
see, If you get off the boat at
Havre and keep outside of Paris.
And please remember, that every
person 10 years or older you meet
in north France lived through a
hell on earth for four years-we
love our coutry but those beautiful
fields and flowers and hills un-
consciously are human beings to
those hard working souls.
But first word about France
in general, its size and people;
then visits to some northern cities
and chats with a few leading citi-
zens here and there along the
route.
Compact France contains two
hundred thousand square miles
about the size of Ohio, Indiana,
Missouri, Virginia and Kentucky
containing forty-one million peo-
pie. Its coastline forms a beauti-
full border Of lace over two thou
sand miles long, on the North
Sea, English channel, Atlantic
ocean and the beautiful Mediter-
ranean. And Belgium, Luxem-
berg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy
and Spain all add colorful bor-
ders.
The Frenchmen have a child
larger than themselves in their
Colonial possessions, containing
over five million square miles
which is one-eleventh of the land
on earth, and have sixty million
people, half as many as France IT.
self. Asia, Guina, the Pacific
ocean-all know the French flag;
while the biggest possessions Of all
are in Africa, one-third larger than
all Europe, and one and one-half
as much land as the United States.
Now let's step into the auto that
my good friend jacques Quellenec
of Paris, with his chauffeur, met
me with at Hare, right alongside
Of the steamship. We rode about
two thousand miles through rural
northern France, staying in various
towns during ten days, and above
all, meeting the people.
You never before have seen
such perfect roads outside Of those
pretty scenes on the curtains Of
tfeaters. The French have been
building good roads for five hum
bred years, straight as arrows, and
lined for miles with trees, high
friendly poplars. The branches
meet above, overshading the high
way. Miles Of new roads cover
norther France particularly maca-
dam on the old bed Of Belgian
blocks. Alongside are concrete
telegraph poles with diamond
shaped holes their entire forty-foot
height. making them pleasing to
the eye.
Away we went, each side Of the
road environed by unfailing beauty
and endless variety. The system
OF official road signs Is unpar-
ailelled. and even without maps
you proceed with surprising direct
ness. Billboards and bunk signs
are taboo in France, mainly by
public opinion - the Frenchmen's
artistic sense is too keen to be
marred in this way.
What kind of people are We see
Ing and chatting with every few
hours? The French peasant is.
like France itself outside Paris.
very different in some respects
from the intellectual or artistic
cityman whom he himself produces,
for Paris Is merely millions of
countryfolk gone to otwn for their
6CLAV0 years, " IcIuIh usually "
the country in old age.
The peasant does not care to
look prosperous-but he wants to
be and usually is.
French peasants live in closely
built villages, mainly because their
farms consist Of many little pieces
of land scattered around for sew
eral kilometers. For ages French
law requires an inheritance be d.
vided equally among all children.
hence the myriad unbelievably
small pieces of property all over
the countryside-and a man must
get control of several of these to
make living. So he lives in the
village and rides around to his
various two-by-four estates all day.
If you hope to understand
France, you must first understand
the typical modest quite everyday
Frenchmen, whether in some little
city or in Paris. Neatly dressed.
his face ref1ecting a mixture OF
love Of &C ountry and serious
thoughts of saving for his family or
family to-be, such is the fellow
old or young-that is the guiding
spirit of France. Look for him
going or coming from his work in
some small city, taking bus
homeward or ntering the subway