Show FRANCE BUILDS BIG BIC VESSELS FOR GIANT MARINE I Lost Million Tons During War 11 and Must lust No Now s Make luke Un Losses I nv n ItI S Special Co In Jurl for fur forThe The lye 11 Paris Dec II In In the tho midst of th the remarkable events o that are arc leading with swift step to tho the complete triumph trIumph tri triumph trI trI- o over all nil our enemies France docs does not forget target certain problems which I have ha nothing to do with Germany German and antI which arc at the tho same time as essential essential essential essen essen- a as aH those thoe of the armistice und and peace for safeguarding the future futuro of oC France Foremost among these problems Is that of the reconstruction and expansion expansion sion Ion of oC Frances France's mer merchant marine During the tho war a million tons have ha been sunk and almost all the other ships remaining to France have been worked so hard that they arc aro In need of repair During these four fout years of or war the French have o not had harl a fair Call fairchance fairchance chance to tr try to build new ships to tomake tomake make male good their losses I J livery ver available blo man In this thus great country cO has been mobilized for Cor land Innel or orsea orsea sea sf-a service and there has been a complete complete com com- raffle of oC tho Uio best workingmen In o cr every district for government muni muni- tion factories and na naval nr arsenals Franco Fiance has had hall to call upon every overy man with a knowledge e of 01 shipbuilding to l keep her hel fleet In repair and to Increase the tho number o of smaller craft so essential essential essen essen- for or coast coast protection submarine submarino chasing and escort of or transports Into Hn Lacking Even en in the rare shipyards that could undertake tho building of oC merchant mer mel I chant ships because c a certain portion of or their personnel had been kept raw materials were wore lacking and no steamship steamship steam steam- ship company compan In France Flance could afford to make the tho investment of shipbuilding ing at the thc price tho the yards ards would have ha hud to demand In a certain Atlantic port which has become a l base for the time Americans a ship of or tons has been lying al already already al- al ready launched but unfinished over ever since our first Jn t soldiers lan landed ed here In m my frequent visits to this port I havo have heard over and over 1 a again aln th time the same comments by American officers when thc they call coll m my attention to the unfinished unfinished un un- finished ship Their criticism of 01 the tho French shows a complete Ignorance of oC the difficulties under which France Is laboring The American officers seem to think that the tho French do not want to or haven't ont got ot tho lie or organizing ability to push posh through a shipbuilding program ram They forgot not only that Franco has been In war for Cor over o four years ears but also that from tho the er very he beginning she mobilized mobilised her entire manhood population population tion lion and has had to concentrate lien her entire energies s upon holding back the boche We e In America on tho rho other hand han have havo conscripted a small portion portion portion por por- tion of 01 our manhood strength and we have JU millions of oC laborers laborer available where l France rance has none nono 1 light Ship Shii But nut now nett that the war I Is drawing to toa toa I a clove close anal ami it Its is possible to release certain categories of or men from military military mili mili- I tor tary service er France Fiance is Initiating Initialing a program of ur ship construction which will add ono one and one half million tons to the tho merchant marine before the lie end endor of or 1919 ani Only a portion of oC this can be he for trans Atlantic merchant and passenger trips Franco neel needs 1 first t atall of at all a largo larso number of 01 smaller ships for tOI trade with i the North African colonies and several MC hundred thousand tons of oC coastal ships and driven steam fishing trawlers France hopes also to get b by the treaty of or peace the tho transfer to her fla flag of ot German Gelman merchant ships to tomake mlle make good all her l from rein sub sub- marines Hut But even cn If tr France Is able to carry cany through her 1919 1111 shipbuilding pro program ram an and to recuperate her submarine losses by taking German ships she Rho will twill still be In a position of or inferiority in the war after competition Some Somo special arrangement must be made with Great Britain and the United States or wo shall be In the position of or having ha an unfair advantage antage over our out all ally It Is not enough for us to unito In Insisting that Germany not profit b by tho war at our expense o Wo 0 must carr carry that spirit farther and arrange bet between ourselves that none nono of us profits b by the misfortunes that flit ha have hac c fallen upon an ally |