The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1916. FRANCE’S MINISTER OF MUNITIONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 42, 25 January 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, JANUARY 2 3, 1916. FRANCE’S MINISTER OF MUNITIONS.

That remarkable Frenchman, M. Thomas, the Minister for Munitions in his own land, is sketched by an English writer as follows: “Imagine a well-built, strong man, with a face recalling early portraits of C. H. Spurgeon as a young man; a kindly face, with good eyes, moustache and short heard, ana von will have an idea of the appearance of M. Albert Thomas, the statesman who is concerned spec ially with providing the French Army with munitions.” Until this war for her very existence France only knew M. Thomas as an ordinary Socialist Member of the Chamber of Deputies. He had but few advantages in his youth, being a son of a baker, but his endeavours brought him at last to the university, where he made good use of his time. Reading deeply the Socialistic literature which came in his wav, he became a Socialist. His

speaking powers developed, and his party put Rim up as a candidate for Parliament in one of the suburbs ox Paris. He won the election, and soon attracted attention as a “rising man.” When France formed her Coalition Ministry, with the famous Socialist Leader, M. Viviana, as Premier. M, Thomas was made Under-Secretary for War, and Ins great and momentous task was to speed up the manufacture of munitions of war. By this tremendous energy and splendid organisation, France rapidly became a great ammunition and ordnance factory, and early in ids regime even women workers were put on in large numbers in the munition factories. His success has been wonderful, and more than once of late he ha R visited England to confer with the British Government on questions affecting the Allies’ supply of war materials.