A VISITOR FROM FRANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21988, 24 June 1933, Page 12

A VISITOR FROM FRANCE

WAR DEBTS TO AMERICA A STRAIGHT-OUT OPINION M. Lucien Rous, deputy mayor of Cognac arid managing director of Messrs James Pnmier and Co., who is making -his first visit to Dunedin, was asked by a Daily Times reporter yesterday during an interview whether France intended to pay her war debts to the United States M. Roux was quite frank iu his reply. He said that France—which has already made two defaults in her payments to the United States—would not pay. She herself had not received payments due in connection with the war from other countries, and that being so to expect her to pay the United States would be quite unjust. France had had her cities destroyed by the war and her country devastated, and Germany had not paid. M. Roux said that France, like other countries, was suffering by the depression, and that the franc now stood at 86 to the £ sterling. Unemployment in Prance was, however, not so pronounced as in Great Britain. The conditions in France were very different from those in Britain, and they did not have many very big cities. Prance’s export trade had dropped by about 50 per cent., and, remarked M. Roux, it was interesting to record that Britain was France’s second best customer. The dominions came first. The imports from France were chiefly composed of luxury commodities. At the .present time, M. Roux continued, France was not troubled to auy extent by internal unrest. The people were standing together very loyally,and striving to do their best to overcome their present economic difficulties. The population was increasing slowly but steadily. M. Roux said he was much impressed by what he had seen during his visit to the Dominion. There was plenty of variety to be seen in town and country, and certain localities brought back memories of France. In this connection M. Roux mentiqned Napier and Hastings. It was very touching to him as he visited the business places to discover how many men had gone from New Zealand and Australia to Prance during the war. He was meeting them every day, and it was indeed very surprising apd gratifying. It was also very touching when one visited the great memorial at Amiens to see the cards of relatives of the soldiers buried there. They came from all over the world.

The town of Cognac has a population of 18,000, and the municipality is controlled by a mayor and 27 councillors. During his stay in Dunedin M. Roux will call on the Mayor of Dunedin (the Rev. B/ T. Cox). M. Roux left France on March 20 for Australia, and he visited Noumea before coming to New Zealand. He will leave by the Wanganella on July 6 -on his homeward journey.