WAR RAVAGES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16622, 14 April 1928, Page 15

WAR RAVAGES

WIPED OUT IN FRANCE HERCULEAN TASK PARIS, February 11. By the time tin* tenth Armistice, anniversary is celebrated next November, Prance will have seen obliterated the last vestiges of the devastation caused by the overwhelming German advance in 1914 and the systematic destruction of the northern departments until the Allied armies hurled back the invaders. The formidable, task of reconstruction has practically been terminated. Travellers in tho stricken departments are riding in comfortable trains over solid tracks, more than ZCOO miles of which have been rebuilt since 1918. Visitors see well-cultivated fields where a few years ago there was only a desert of shell-holes and pools of muddy water. Villages that had been wiped out by prolonged Artillery bombardments on both sides have been born again and more than 2,0G0,C00 of the inhabitants who fled before the German advance have gone back to their rebuilt homes. PRODUCTION HIGHER-

Andcr Tardieu, Minister of Public Works and the Liberated Regions, gave the United Press details of the work that had to be done, the results already acquired, and the cost of the undertaking. He said that not only had the fields and mines of the districts for four years been in tho hands of the Germans been re-established, but that the production had reached a point higher than in 1914 before the war began. " The total damage caused by the occupation," eaid M. Tardieu to the correspondent, " amounted to approximately £680,000,000. Payments made so far amount to approximately £576.000. This is money advanced by the French Government, to be recovered according as Germany pays her reparations bill.

" At the time of the Armistice tho census of the 10 departments included in tho occupied area was 2,075,057. It is now 4,6*16,004, according to the last official count. The latter number is only 144,179 under the 1914 population.. Only a few hundred public , buildings .such as schools and municipal edifices remain to be rebuilt. The total number of such buildings destroyed was move than 35:000. German reparations in kind have enabled us to replace tho cattle destroyed or carried off, comprising 523.255 cows, 309,174 horses and mules, 523,531 sheep and goats and 215,077 pigs." FINISHED THIS YEAR,

Looking at the documents giving these figures, M. Tardieu added : " France may well be proud of this accomplishment. The work was (Carried on in spite of financial stringency. The thanks of the. successive Governments which have been occupied with this task are due, to the people of France, whose- admirable spirit of selfabnegation and patience permitted the Government to act." M. Tardieu indicated that the work would be finished by the end of 1928, but during the summer it will have reached such a point that perhaps an official celebration will bo made. M. Tardieu himself was for several years Under-Secretary of the Liberated Regions. Oto the coming to power of tho Government oil' national union under Premier Poinoaro, this wider-secretariat was suppressed and replaced by a special department of tho Ministry of Public Works under Paul Poquere. who was prefect of the Ardennes department. M. Roquero inaugurated a .series of economics in administration and material. Thus, the number of officials employed in the service, which in 192-0 was 65,000, has been brought down to 596 for the central administration and 3256 for the departmental service. The 1928 budget appropriation for the liberated regions represents a considerable reduction over that of last year.