Evening star., 1945-08-26
transportation Breakdown
Snarls Recovery in France
Elements Vital to Recovery Are Abundant, but
Tangled in Web of Wrecked Rail Lines,
Harbors, Canals and Highways
BY Joseph II. Baird.


July, 1914, and his return last week for
conversations with President Truman
and Secretary of State Byrnes. Most of
what has occurred meanwhile has been
highly favorable to the French cause,
but the tall, adamant general and his
country still have tremendous problems
before them.
When Gen. de Gaulle sat in the White
House with the late President Roosevelt
last summer most of France was still
under German domination. Gen. Eisen-
hower's men had secured only a toe
hold along the Normandy coast. The
French leaders own position was very
tenuous He had proclaimed the French
Committee of National Liberation, which
he headed, as the provisional govern
ment OF France, but the United States
did not recognize it as such.
Although he had strong backing by
the British government, Gen. de Gaulle
had not been able, as least up until the
time of his visit, to enlist Mr. Roose-
velt's support. There had always been
a marked antagonism between the two,
dating back to the era of the North
African invasion when America backed
Gen. de Gaulle,s rival for power, Gen.
Henri Giraud. At that time, Gen. de
Gaulle had no positive assurance that
he and his committee would be sup
ported by a majority of the French
people. then split into several divergent
factions, once he and his followers
landed in France.
De Gaulle's Leadership Unchallenged.
The French leader returned here last
week in much happier position France
was free of the German invader The
once-feared revolution in his country
had been avoided Although France
still is in the throes of working out a
permanent, stable government, no other
political leader has risen to challenge
seriously Gen. de Gaulles leadership in
the new French state. The nation
crushed militarily by Germany in 1910
had again become member of the in
ner councils of the big powers-a coun-
try with representation in the United
Nations Council, the Preparations Com
mission, the Allied Control Commits
sion for Germany and the Council of
Foreign Ministers, to meet soon in Lon
don.
Even the ever-eager Gen. de Gaulle,
looking back over the last 13 months
since his last arrival in Washington
under less happy circumstances, must
have felt glow of satisfaction.
Yet the momentous problems facing
the general and his adored France are
far from permanent solution. The
gains of the last Is months have only
placed him and his country in a posi-
tion where there is realistic hope that
Frances long-term recovery, politically,
militarily and economically, may be
worked out. There is reason to think
that his talks here may have contributed
to that end.
France Potentially Great.
France today is in the unsual position
Of having been a great power historical
ly and of being one again potentially.
But by none of the realistic standards of
military or economic might is she one
at the moment. AS of August, 1945, her
assets consist of an intelligent, thrifty.
hard-Working people, an honorable ira
dition, moderate gold reserve, a proud
and ambitious leader and very powerful
friends in the persons of John Bull and
Uncle Sam
The next year should give fair
indication as to whether these assets
are sufficient to overcome the tre-
mendous backset she received from her
crushing defeat by Germany and wheth-
er she again will become great power
economically and militarily as well as in
spirit and tradition.
Frances two major immediate prob
lens are: Cd To establish a healthy
economy and normal standard of liv-
ing at home. (2) To regain effective con-
troll of that foreign empire which ap-
pears to bulk so large in Gen. de Gaulle's
thinking. To most observers the first
problem seems paramount and even es-
sential to the solution of the second,
which the generals critics charge him
with overemphasizing.
Military and diplomatic reports re-
ceived here paint dark picture of
Frances internal economic situation
one which may grow even darker dur
ing the coming winter unless prompt aid
can be obtained from outside sources.
France Suffers Heavily.
AS Is generally known, France suf-
fered heavy physical devastation in
the fighting last year despite the fact
that the German withdrawal, once it
was we'll under way, was too rapid to
permit the "scorched-earth" policy of
destroying factories and buildings that
the Reichswehr carried out in Russia
and Poland. Sardonically but necessar-
lily, France suffered greatly from the
military activities of her liberators.
AS prelude to D day, American and
British bombers devastated Frances
railroads, ports and canals in order to
hamper Germany military movements.
AS they abandoned ports, the Germans
carried this work of devastation further.
Indeed, transport appears to be the
key to the whole French economic prob
lem. Today France is estimated to have
around 5000, 900 workmen who are either
wholly unemployed or work only on
a part-time basis. This despite the fact
that her Industrial plants, particularly
those making textiles, were only slight
ly damaged and the further fact that
she has, according to American esti-
mates, enough wool and cotton to OPP
crate these plants for two years.