Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-08


"Suez gasoline black market" is
doing a roaring trade in Paris.
but its operators are a lot more
discreet and cunning than their
World War II predecessors.
They are not flashing their
bankrolls or living high. though
they are making plenty of money.
AS a result, the police confess
having a bad time catching up
with them. But some suspicion
exists that the ordinarily very
tough gendarmes don't really
have their hearts in the pursuit.
Though evidence of Illicit deal
ing in rationed gasoline can be
seen on every side. not a single
arrest has been made by the
French authorities and only
few paltry fines levied. One au-
thoritative estimate is that mo-
florists here are consuming no
less than 95 per cent as much
"essence" as they were before
rationing was imposed by the
Middle East crisis.
Sold Cars Too Soon
"The other five per cent" ex-
planned one cynic. consists Of
persons who sold their cars too
Boon"
Most of the gasoline being used
is, of course. obtained through
.extra-legal" channels and costs
double the legal price. Since the
latter is already a whopping 81
cents a gallon. the answer seems
to be that the average French
motorist means to keep his car
running if he has to go bank
rupt to do it.
For a brief day or two after
rationing was imposed. Pans's
monumental auto snarl dissolved.
The chief of police was seen to
smile for the first time in some
years. Pedestrians lost their
customary bounded look.
The idyl was all TO short. With
In a week. traffic was back to
S5 per cent of normal, by official
police estimate. So it has re-
manned, though motorists have
been cut to about one-third OF
their normal gasoline consump-
ton.
From U. S. Shipments
Where's the gas coming from?
From American shipments which
are costing the French govern
ment precious dollars Of which
they possess at the moment dis
hearteningly few. Some OF the
offering, perhaps most of it, is
being done from the tanker
barges which carry oil from the
coastal ports up the Seine to
Paris.
One American. who lives some
distance outside Of Paris in a
house which overlooks the Seine,
was awakened one night by un-
usual noises coming from the dl-
rection of the river. Going out
to investigate, he saw a tank
truck drawn up to the bank, TAX
ing on gasoline from a barge.
He witnessed similar incidents on
two later occasions, both in the
middle OF the night. There are
no storage facilities or depots
anywhere near his home.
Police officials here say the
present crop of black marketeers,
unlike their wartime forerun-
ners. realize their time is short,
since rationing is expected to
end no later than July. They're
sailing it away while they can.
one police inspector said. I'VE
get reports. There hasn't been a
rush of suddenly wealthy people
to the south of France. No I'M
usual number of new regular
customers at the expensive night
clubs. They aren't ordering a
dozen dresses at a time for, their
wives or girl friends from the
big fashion houses, either.
Deal Only in Cash
"Those were some of the ways
we used to catch them back IN
as and '46. But not now. They
deal only in cash and they're
putting it in an old box some
where"
However, the authorities are
up against a big psychological
hurdle, too, in combating the
black market.
1.-THE public rather approves Of
the black marketeers in this
situation" the same officer said