21 APRIL 1923, Page 22

Effects of the War upon French Economic Life. Edited by

Charles Gide. (Clarendon Press. 6s. net.)

This volume of the Carnegie Endowment's Economic Studies of the War contains five essays by French economists describing the effect of the War on the French mercantile marine, textile industry, finance, commercial policy and labour. The authors give an abundance of facts and few comments. The French merchant service suffered comparatively little. The textile industry, especially the woollen trade, was almost ruined ; French finances, which were " rather abnormal " before the War, were reduced to chaos. M. Nogaro, who treats of this subject, points out that an income-tax alone, even if it were rigorously collected, would not solve the pro- blem of balancing the Budget. M. Onalid's account of the labour situation is discouraging ; labour is scarce and the relations between employers and employed are not good.