THE VISITORS FROM FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 87, 7 January 1919, Page 9

THE VISITORS FROM FRANCE

'.;; A JOURNEY ; OF INVESTIGATION.; : TRADE. POSSIBILITIES OP THE .:;;;;;^■:; ; ;Putu]re■:■: ;^.i-$" : - The French: Mission, v which-was -weK corned;yesterday, By.thslpedii'le- of' Wcl-i ..ljngtpn, France-tie ,bailee, that has .'foiigiit S=: - •: gallantly, -endured 's6,; ; greatiy,-■ and -.-iii-i-' umphed s'onobly;" General Pan-find 60111niandant;,.d'Andre; are sOldieiV'Dr:' Sieg- : '. .fried/is a^pl^fe^^M: l : a "manufacturer, -'and :M-. Henri':, Corbiero is.'a faimer and horse-breeder. Yet 'while -they.como.frbnj.scitiiic'e''ami.'industry, as .well, as/irdm..tha i ''anuy„ .they .are; aii.-sol-diers; for-in-Franee there.'has.beeii only, one duty for a FYenehihari-since (lie.German hordes poured'a'cTOS3' : the border in 'August, 19H.-"The'iuemljersTof the mis-;. sion Imvd'all. worii. the'-uniform,; they have all served.with, the' armies of ■ ; France;, and theyliave. all t been decorated! ;for.their deeds in '|lie field." ---,": ;r:: , . Theso-visitors have; cpiiie ; tb New .Zea-' land primarily,in- search of'information. \ end' they ■ are: Teadier^to,; .'asjt than' to 'fthsweivtbenV. '.-They: speak jyith' ■ .proud .reserve of what:; France ilias : suf-; rfered.-duiring. the';last-'four years Vand. a .- half. The. price that Franco, lias; hair to - pay .for--freedom from Jinn domination, . -for.:the:right..to. uphold .he l r..'idea.ls.\.ahd . : her nationality,-.is .almost.'.un'thinic.a'.W?, ■ and. Frenchmen have nd .wish -.fo;:talk .in' : : detail of -the- : sacrifices that, have: been made.- -.Their .eyes .'are'turned; toCthejfu- ; ..ture, and:i.t.is for,.the'futur'e.that'the . 'members..of. -.the mission 'are inquiring ■; .and. planning. ; There.'are:great tasks of. '. reconstruction nheadj and...the French: -. : Government; .wh'ioh!-:sent .General'; Pan ■ and- his. comrad.es-.to; Australiapaud, New; ': Zealand, believes that ■ the En'tejite,'.which ; triuhvphedon red fields iri-Eurdpe, can be : sustained for mutual benefit .in ...days 7 of. .: peace. "We. .aro. seeking'. the biisis-.'for i closer relations with your countries, so- • cial, industrial,, and'commercial," said one of the visitors'.'"''Before the "war you : . of .your.ra^'.material' to tier-: - many, ;and you .'itopprtcd from; -'Gsrhiany' ;large'quantities:',of .mahufaCtureif gooi|s.: : :■ We-."want to.fin(t.how\.Germahi'''ilid'hev. '■, -;fcrade here," and/ then; take';'her;. place.;'';;' . • .The.industriaX'futurej-bf .fYajice -is;. "■ boundHiip:with ma\eiv •ials arid markets.'"'The .French'.Gdyerh,ment, and- : :..the'' -.French;.peppier,- ate' -.determined.'/..: that" '-'they''.::.will;/.'.■;not' again: tecomo.'dependent,.on.. Germany ■ fori 1 a .'single article...' -.They'rire not «ay-' ' ; ing •; that, they ...will .'not trade.; with .Ger-many-at- all in'Uhetfuture.''.- ; 'That:':;re-; ■'■ .mains;.to .be.-.eeen.;i-vßut :,they v.stand;by '■■■ 'the principle' laid',,down"at; the.: Paris' Conference;.-;that..;-is',.-;:prefcfence.3to 7 :the; •: nations; ;: /relations. •...•:s.[r'- : Ljßclerq^tpfte'i?.'.^' : '';w66l ■ Manufacturer from Eoub'aix;'"oneof'the - centres■of the great-, manufacturing:; dis- ■ trict that the German's; occupied.; in 'the, " ..first week's; of- the y holding until they were .'driv'pn Aout' a; ; few -weeks before.,the...signing';Ol:,the,.a'r-;; .'. mistice..,: Eoubaix escaped ''the''', ; iibn '.that-.overtook.;6pme,:o£ VtbeJ'vothar:: '■'. Frenoh -towns that" oame' ijwthiri. 'the. v ...reach-of'..-the .Germans,..but .th'?;- Huns; ' wrought an enormous-amniiht.df .'damage' •; ih.-.thevfactories an,d v wqrks'hdps.' ':;:They .:, seized jTemoy- :'; cd machinery "and parts'of'-: maeb'iriery; •] ■ and: wrecked- jipwer-.plants.,-.. 0 ation of the industries,.-.'of,--North-east . ; -France-necessarily-. will bb; a: slow.proJ -..; cess. -But Jl. Le'clerg.-M6tt'e'.'.jii,. hopeful that the, restoration is-going. to be ; complete, ■ and: that ii "will ba" followed by. a .'ijerio.d,;-: of .esßangion.. :Tn,,. : tlia :■ •meantime;-naturally','; he.isi'ospeciaily- ;. •terestedun-'rAustra.lasJQn' v v •plans.now ;in;ihand'i-,a'fe..put' into i-'effecti ~ very little wool from New Zealand'''and .; .'Australia .will:find s its.way-ito Germany . for many years .'to come..'.': France is . ; prepared to .take increased..quantities of ..; this- raw; material.' -' : .:"'"■-,;..-. ; : ■'. .-.Before.-.'..tlie Avar there..;was. : shortage of meat.'in "'France,,'ia.ncl'' al; '-■ though old- prohibition-,against ;thd ■■ importation of frozen meat: . was still i standing;, some, experimental ..shipments ". had .been admitted.,., M. Cdrbiere is inquiring . regarding/.tiie.possibilities of '< the .meat-trade.'.-.':-.Hje-.; cannot. .Jsay;- defin- -1 itely that'. Eranceiwill::become any-.im; :j porter'.of meat, .since it is lei'tain'tnaf .: the Government will;:do its;best .to- enf :-.■ courage local production andtios-.H'r too ;; farming' and breeding- industries, v -15ut. • France .wants -information; übpiit : New • Zealand's exports bf.meat.and'.dairy.pro- - duce. as well as about ih'ethods.-.qi'.'"y'o- 1; ,duqtion;'' of-.: .jipduoe;.'; and ;- ( trade customs. Flocks 'and-huids, it- ■; may!'be' mentioned, :haye. i;oV been,; dc' ■'■ pleted in France during the wabio the ' extent that might-havp-been aitticipated:.' The Government, realised early the ne-' cessity- for. .looking': to:'the fnture, and ' Bought large quantities of meat'in-North : and South AmericaJn'order (0 conserve the supplies. , ■.-'■; - . Testerdayv'a, hiemljer; drew:. • '•• attention .to 'trade 'statistics, in ''. illustration of tlie'poihtfl r that the'visitors" " to .study: .-'.The Ne'w.Zealahdstar,. ■' tistics are. not altogether reliable,''since' : : they do not always distinguish between ' 1 British goods aTid:foreigh.goods.that have .' passed thrdugh ; '"Lb'ndon.'; ; But tlie.'followr "

in'g .figures', re-veal'..a position that.. the wish to, change!— '; ; New Zealand Imports. ' From .' 1910. 1911. France .'..;. i! 127,230 • ,£U7,877 .. Qerh'iiiny.., .J. 391,795 .UtiiO.-100 ..New.Zcalarid Exports. To''- ' f -Franca ,-.. i AM6.528 . ,-.£227,027 '~-!."' Germany;.:. .4205,931 .. J.'i56,1C3- .-. ' - .-./•',The" information that, the : members ,of ; -mission nre.seeking.does not stop at matters Of-trade. ,-The visitors, as.General -Pau-iexplained, yesterday, want to know' .more about; New-, Zealand';; social and in.iio'trial,legislation, in. order that .-they »!**• learn; if this country, is ..able., to .suggest ally measures that .vill-bo pf.-.use' .t<j-France in'>the yeiirs ofreeoustruc.iion: :-!AVe. know; that .there are dilfioiiities to ;"t>d faced -by; our'country ," eaid o:ie of the -visitors.;-,'' The -sacrifices: that have .been >iarii>.:u-o-very- great, and the wounds that .-ErUiiQi lifts-.sustained—wounds that, jiove'r :(S mimed- hsr spirit—caniiot be healed'in :a-.(la}S-p'r a year-..; We, too, have ci;:;.lab-our-difficulties, oiir industrial -.difficulties/, oiir laud -''problems. New Zealand has iniide bold - experiments, n ' l!( l we wish id know: what- has becii •:the result.... We aro-inaking■ ty journey of ,inves.tigntion. -.Andf wpvare ginil at. the same time to •say -.what-..we. know. nliout the aid your country- has ..to France and to ,the f •world,'(ho world of ;democracy and civili-' • France has-.unbaiind-•eil, adminitidii- ior your brave..iiien/,/The :blo'ml tliey Jliavo shed in France,is, a •jipnd betiveeiuus." ,; .' ■" ..'..'.;.