Evening star., 1944-10-22

The YankS in France are witnessing
the rebirth of a nation which before
mas risen from staggering blows to
recover her proud place in the world
The strong united uprising of the
Maquis, made possible by the help of
mighty Allied armies, recalls spon-
taneous revolts of the French masses
against aggression and tyranny in
1789 and 1871.
Despite distinct regional differences,
France early developed into a pliable
nation of strong unity which always
bounced back after reverses. Where
PATRIOTISM is concerned, a Frenchman
Is first a Frenchman and second a
Norman or Gascon. During the French
Revolution he awakened to national
ism, doctrine that spread around the
world.
French social ideals of liberty. equal
1ty and fraternity, and the political
ideal OF peoples government have had
great influence toward the better
ment OF life. But French-born ma
tionalism also helped bring the wars
Of the 10Th and Goth centuries. Ma
poleons, Bismarcks and Hitlers arose
In every generation to shatter the peace
OF Europe, and France wound up by
being attacked three times within 70
years by nationally rampant Germany.
What the Germans HVan.ed
The Yanks now see what the Ger
man aggressor probably wanted: The
rich wheatlands of the Paris Basin and
Aquitaine, the wines of Champagne.
Medoc and the Rhone; the silks of
Lyon, the sleek cattle of Normandy.
Another powerful attraction was Paris,
the city of light.
Paris, Frances capital. is the worlds
city. World travellers make it their
second home. Stay-at- homes in every
land feel its influence on their way of
life. 1t maintains a unique position
In the world despite the fact that in
the past so years several cities have
surpassed it in population and material
Importance. The last prewar census
gave Paris 2,830,0O0 inhabitants. slight
ly more than Brooklyn Borough of New
York City, but the metropolitan area
of the French capital counted more
than four million.
Land Mirrors People
The land of France mirrors the people.
They are lovers of good food and white
oread; wheat grows to the very outskirts
OF Paris. They must have wine with
every meal; tenderly- for VINEYARDS
cover south-sloping hillsides everywhere
except in the extreme north. They eniov
dealing in and wearing fine fabrics: the
early European textile industry largely
developed in France and before the out
break of the war it was still the country's
largest.
The Central Massif. an upland area of
old mountains worn down to an average
height OF 5000 feet, separates Mediter-
ranean-type land to the south and a
Northern European economy to the
north. But two easy travel routes circle
the plateau providing gigantic highways
for international trade between the Med
iterranean and the Atlantic. They fol-
low Cd the Rhone Valley from Marseille
north to the Paris Basin and CO the
Garonne Valley northwest to Bordeaux
and the Aquitaine Basin. Mountain
passes, or saddles, are so low that canals,
as well as railroads and splendid motor
'-3ads, follow them.
The Mediterranean region, which runs
inland to the first mountains and up the
Rhone Valley almost to Lyon, is a dis
tinct subtropical province. East of Tou-
Ion, where the second Allied beachhead
In France was established, lies the rocky
Riviera, basking in the sun. In peace
time 1t attracted people from all over
the world to its beaches, villas and CAST
nos.
In the South
For general agriculture the south of
France has too much sun and too little
rain. Summer drought means irrigation,
n which France leads Europe. This area
COWS great proportion of the grape
rop, making France the worlds greatest
pine producer, enough to provide a bar
rel year for every Frenchman.
The Rhone Delta, the Camargue, is
Frances miniature Texas, fiat, grassy
expanse largely devoted to cattle raising.
Farther up the valley grow the mulberry
groves OF once-important industry