Hawke's Bay Herald. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1901. THE CRISIS IN FRANCE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 12024, 10 December 1901, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1901. THE CRISIS IN FRANCE.

It has come as a surprise to most people to find that France, one of the richest of nations, is so seriously threatened from a financial point of view that in the opinion of many well qualified to form an opinion a

political crisis is not improbable. For centuries past France has been one of the wealthiest nations in Europe. And the thrift of her citizens has been such that the enormous drains of the Revolution-

ary wars and the campaign of 1870 have been borne with an ease which has excited the envy and admiration of the world. Of late years, however, there has been an enormous increase in the public debt. No one has been able to say exactly bow the money has been spent, although it is generally supposed that in France, as in New Zealand, largo sums are spent in unnecessary and unremunerative public works, such as build-

ings, while the roads, bridges, cana’s, and other means of communication have been grievously neglected. This increase of the public debt has not been accompanied by any increase in the population, ana the result is that the Frenchman is the

heaviest taxed person in Europe. The first nine months of the present year have witnessed a very remarkable financial depression. The revenue for that period is rather more than three and a half millions loss than the Estimates and nearly five and a half millions loss thau that of

the same months last year. That is an appalling state of things when it is considered that it occurs in a time of peace, when no extraordinary expenditure has been called for. How the deficit is to bo covered is a matter of great difficulty, because already every possible object—even windows, furniture, and clothing—is taxed up to the limit. It is worth while noticing that France is only a little worse off than most of her great neighbors. The German Treasury has just announced a heavy deficit on the

year’s accounts Russian finance is at so serious an ebb that it is said a loan was necessary to pay interest on the existing debt. And Italy is continuously in a state of impecuniosity. Tho fact is that tho European powers have been tempted by a spirit of rivalry to outrun their means.

The enormous outlay on military and naval preparations, on railways, steamship communications and public works has been followed by a period of depression in trade, and all the nations who during the last ten years have been lavishing money on all these worthy objects are suffering severe distress. This is perhaps, as has often been suggested, one reason for the prevalence of Anglophobia on the’ Continent. To see England, in spite of the alleged falling off in her trade undertaking a war which for costliness and difficulty is almost without parallel in recent times, and apparently bearing with ease the increase in taxation which it has involved, is

calculated to rouse feelings of envy, malice, and all uncharitableness in the Continental mind. A German or a Frenchman or a Eussian must realise, if he knows the facts of the ease, that his country would be quite unable to do what Kngland has done

No doubt this accounts in large measure for the outburst of bitter comment and the childish proposals to boycott British trade. On the other hand it probably insures that for the next ton years wo shall have peace. Not one of the nations of Europe could face the expenses of a war on a large scale To return to Prance. Frenchmen are eagerly discussing the causes of the economic decline which has been only too obvious during the last few years. The external commerce of Prance has barely increased during the last ten years. While the trade of Great Britain in that period has increased by 1300 millions, of Germany by 1100 millions, of tbe United Staos by 1100 millions, that of ; Prance has only increased by 100 i millions, The same story is told by 1

the shipping returns. Ten years ago 80 per cent of the tonnage entered in the various French ports was owned by Frenchmen, now only 25

per cent is so owned. This is the more remarkable when it is considered that the last ten years have been years of great expansion, and that all the leading commercial countries have advanced by leaps and bounds,

It is curious to find Frenchmen speaking of this failure to share in the world’s commercial prosperity, in language which within the last year or two we have been using with regard to our own shortcomings. We are told that France has failed because she has not realised the importance of science in the modern world. 3he French father sends bis boy to school and insists on him acquiring a classical education of the old type. Every parent who can afford it wishes his son to take a degree in Latin and Greek. If he is ignorant of English or German or science what does it matter; he has

enjoyed a literary training which will enable him to pass his leisure in an agreeable fashion. At one time it was said that chemistry was a French science. Whether that was ever true or not it is not worth while inquiring; but certainly at present it is not France, but Germany, that is reaping the fruit of the knowledge which French discoveries and investigations made available to the world. An Ameri-

can recently said that the nation which has the best physicists and the best chemists will be the greatest and most prosperous in the long run. She will have the best food at the lowest price, the best manufactories, the most powerful armaments. Her inhabitants will know how to utilise to the best advantage the resources of the soil; they will bo the health-1 iest and the most completely protected against all forms of disease

In all these matters wo are told Frenchmen have everything to learn. Another point that French critics make much of is the incurable tendency of the youth of the country to look for a Government billet. We might take a hint from the experiences of France in this colony, where the same evil is noticeable, though in less pronounced form. The number of

official billets in France is enormous. A man must be unlucky if he cannot secure one. And with this is connected a lack of initiative, which is a striking characteristic of modern France. In former ages Frenchmen were as adventurous as any other Continental race. They ran us close in every part of the world. What has brought about the change in national character is more or less of

a riddle, but the the fact is beyond doubt. It is not likely that the present condition of things will be permanent. In the meantime, however, it may seriously handicap the development of tho country It is well for us in this young country to ponder the lessons which the present situation of Prance teaches.