In Defence of France

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1923, Page 4

In Defence of France

UK I! ECOXSTH I'CTIOX I’OUCY. AIXK FAXIT January 19. A defence of the French policy of renisti'uetiou was made yesterday hy Al. can CTauvel of the French Foreign iffici-. in lecture . Smile people had said that I'ianee rent money without counting on ropnation. thinking that it. did not matter ceause (lermauv w ould pay. M. 'liauvel remarked. “All the work ot i-coii.struction has heen , on,ln, led -long cry rati,and lines.'' he declared. Intend of rchiiiilding old works with an,ls received from the (h-vernii'ent. .he textile mnmtfacl urers lormed a kind if syndicate to build large butenes, veil situated, for the same amount of Honey. They had much heller orga-ii.-ati,ei. and were able to r duce to a Minimum their costs ,c production hy rediteitig their exncmes. There exist ■d before the wa, in the i-a.-t of Fiaiieo in fie I eginn ol I'Ollruili'S. an ell s-einhle of twenty-live firms represent, ing JAO.OOU .-pmumg maelimes. all c work. \t. the armistice the.-e iavtor-e

ii, re nothing but a heap of r-iins. Tee manufacturers decided t o , , I their means and formed vast joint stock company. They re-established (lie less injured and host situated works, and specialised each lacloty* in the production of dilfereet kinds oi thread. At present, seven factories were at work. repri-M-ii 1.1 ng loihtttttt spinning machines. llcfcrriii". to l la- mine- and met allur gieal works of Frame, on which speei al elf,n I had heen made since the r•eoveiy of Alsace-I .orraine. they had h - come, he said, most imroitutit la,-tors of France's prosperity in the Inline. The coalmines were in the n rIT of France : the ore deposits w ere in the east. During the war both these regions were occupied by (human awnies. and Frame's pi,'duel ion of ~, I an t steel we’e perforce reduced to hit 1 over on.—i bird >T the pre-w r p 1 '".!" ' lion. It had been -aid that one <>l ill,* l,igge't vie |, ij... e| the war ,v.i> won hv the Trem l, melallurgi-tDm, I terrible diliieiillies. slmrtage coal ,j, [id lab,ini . 1 hey had put dot', n new works in oiler parts ot rian,*,- ami started new product ion. and f!„-y worke,| for ihe h'l cmdi armies Tie;, supplied iliee .'-in! the Serb in army eomj'iele|y. and the llussiau am! Creek armies partly, with rifles, machine guns, heavy •guns and ammunition. Thev sup; lied ihe Aui.'iiean army willi all its light art illeipv and an impoiiant iiuiiihei of big gnu-, as well as the Italian it tiny. After giving detail- of iconstrm ti-m , works. M. C'hauvei eon fi nmd : “All the work ,-t reparation we Inn e dom with m:r own money. The (h-rman- : paid almost not'ting of the money dm 1 ter 1, *mirations. The French C 'Vein m,-lit: h"d to raise it all and to lllilki , a large appeal to the French ! id he. : The Covet miK-iii has i > pay the in- ' i am the mmi. v i bus h-ni to n. | This Illi.v he done h'.v ineioasi 11L' Imm mil,lev to pay the interest on t'm |nu lie' air,.-:i-:Ly 1)011 I'd. By this y- , ecu judge that when i'T- n: e . ays thal Is',- ne eds the money (lermany owe.- ! |;er. she lias vrv good te.isoli- to say i so. iApp!nu«c.) t'p till now Fran,, h' s spent “(idtI.DCO.OOO on her r-'para-I inns. If you aihl to teat sum tht money spent on pen-dons to war orphans. w «•)• widows, disabled nicii. etc. von wdl find that the t i: 1 1 sum -I’e'd hv Franee since, and as a result of tin amounts to about £1.009.0110.1:09 |-'ranee did not wait for Cerme.n money to start the work of ri-uonst met inn ton slie will eontinue.'' (\ Jiplaus-.!