RESTORATION OF RHEIMS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17691, 17 February 1923, Page 3

RESTORATION OF RHEIMS.

CO-OPERATIVE EFFORTS. There is every prospect that the city of Rheimß, in view of the rapid progress that is now being made, will be reconstituted within from four to five years, says the Paris correspondent of a London paper. The Marquis de Bolignac, at the annual meeting-of the ; Co-operative bociety formed for the purpose of reconstructing the city, stated that during the'present year lsoti houses partially destroyed during the.war.haye been repaired, while tne construction of bw new buildings has been Undertaken. The works carried out under tno Co-operative Society during 1922 represent a total value of 90 million francs, the total value of the reconstruction work accomplished to date being iW million francs. Much of this result has been due to the raising of a loan of 50,000,000 francs. There is reason to fear, however, that less satisfactory progress will be made i in the immediate future, owing to the grave financial difficulties of France resulting from the continued failure of Germany to carry out her obligation*. The co-operators have so far filled the post of bankers to the State in the hope that the Government would soon be able to reimburse them for the money they have expended; but the outlook at present is not very rosy. M Reibel, Minister for the Liberated Regions, insisted that the sufferers from war losses might rest assured that the 12,000,000,000 francs estimated tor j as required foi expenditure on the de- ] vastated area during 1H22 would be found bv the Government. The first part of the money voted must be allocated in any case to building purposes. The Minister added that the Rheims Co-operative Society had succeeded admirably in its work, which, he said, bad exceeded all hopes. .