THE STRENGTH OF FRANCE
By V. S. SWAMINATHAN
ALL along the line France is stronger today than twenty- five years ago. During the last war the enemy advanced over the whole Lorraine field, shutting off virtually all of France's iron ore. At the same time, Germany's offensive through Liege, Charleroi, Mons and Valenciennes cut off the best part of France's coal-supply. Between 1913 and 1918 the French output of coal declined from 41 to 26 million metric tons, iron ore from 22 to a mere 2 million tons, pig iron from 5 to a bare million tons and raw steel from 5 to 2 millions. This time France has carried the war into German territory instead of having to submit to the ruin and demoralisation consequent upon invasion. Today France possesses a stock of gold double that of 1914, an industry intact, not as it was then behind the enemy lines, and an Empire whose economic potential has vastly in- creased in the last quarter of a century.
So far as foodstuffs are concerned France is undoubtedly much nearer to self-sufficiency than any other great indus- trial nation on the Continent. Domestic production of grains, sugar, butter and milk is more or less adequate to cover home requirements. Of 19.1 million metric tons of solid food consumed by Frenchmen last year, only 1.7 million tons were imported from both the French Empire (largely North African possessions)' and foreign countries ; the share of the latter amounted to a paltry 527,000 tons. The two items imported in sizable quantities in 1938 were maize (712,000 tons) and rice (549,000 tons, mostly from French Indo-China). Of 65 million hectolitres of wines French- men drink 16.5 millions come from Algeria and practically none from foreign sources. The life-line to French North Africa remains, however, as important for the transport of foodstuffs—cereals, fruits, vegetables, wines and cattle products—and phosphatic fertilisers, as for the transport of troops. Furthermore, France has accumulated large emer- gency reserves of wheat, sugar, frozen and chilled meat and butter. These reserve stocks in conjunction with domestic production ensure that French food supplies are ample to cover all contingencies.
The supply of iron ore and scrap is more secure in France than in any other of the countries of Western Europe. While in terms of tonnage Germany has to import two-thirds of her iron-ore requirements and Great Britain almost one- third, France can get along with imports of rich hematite and magnetite ores totalling only some two per cent. of her consumption. Her output of iron ore averaged 34.6 million tons during the last three years, and nearly half of her pro- duction is exported, chiefly to Belgium and Luxemburg and Germany. In 1913 the Metz-Thionville area of Lorraine alone supplied 21 out of 28.5 million tons of iron ore needed by Germany. Today, the Alsace-Lorraine field lies safely behind the Maginot Line, and Luxemburg is the only region that could easily be overrun by the Reich. And, unlike Germany and Great Britain, which must import large quantities of scrap, France has actually an exportable surplus of this material. She ranks fifth in point of steel produc- tion. During the first half of the current year France pro- duced 3,965,000 tons of raw steel, and the total capacity of her steel plants at 10 million tons is more than ample to satisfy home requirements. On the other hand, the domestic coalfields do not suffice, quantitatively or as regards quality, to meet French needs. While her output of coal amounted to 46.5 million tons last year, her annual imports average some 20 million tons. Before the outbreak of war her surplus iron ores were exported in return for industrial coke from Belgium and Germany. Arrange- ments are now well under way to supply British coal of the required quality to our Ally across the Channel.
France is in very much the same position as Great Britain in the matter of oil supplies. In 1938 domestic output of crude petroleum amounted to 72,000 tons and retained imports 56 million barrels, or 8 million tons. Of the imports 55 per cent. came from the countries of the New World and the balance from the Middle East, the East Indies and European countries. Iraq supplied 3,350,000 tons, and the United States 2,980,000. In an emergency the proportions coming from across the Atlantic and via the Mediterranean could be altered without difficulty, since France has adequate installations along the Atlantic and Channel ports to receive increased supplies. The successive post-war French Governments have increased the capacity of the tanker fleet, created stocks at home, erected a large national refinery and fostered, within limits imposed by financial considerations, the production of synthetic motor fuels. At the present time France owns 5o tankers, with an aggregate capacity of 318,000 gross tons, stocks at home amount approximately to 3 million tons, and the capacity of the refineries exceeds 7 million tons. The domestic pro- duction of oil from lignite hydrogenation is of the best aviation quality and is reserved for the use of the French Air Force. As long as the Allied Navies have command over the sea-routes the French, no less than the British, oil supplies are assured. The French chemical industry has grown in stature and strength in the last 25 years. It is now virtually independent of sea-borne Chilean nitrates for manufacturing nitric acid, explosives and fertilisers. To- day France possesses a thriving synthetic dyestuffs industry and produces a wide range of pharmaceutical and photo- graphic preparations. She is the second largest producer in the world of potash, a commodity employed in the manu- facture of fertilisers and explosives and esteemed for its medicinal value.
In addition to foodstuffs her colonies provide France with 93 per cent. of natural phosphates, 70 per cent of pure oils, 54 per cent. of tobacco and large amounts of oilnuts and seeds ; she is mainly dependent on outside sources for rubber, sulphur, tea and coffee, and also for copper, tin, manganese, jute, cotton, wool, wood pulp, maize, olive oil and linen. France gets her copper from Belgium and the United States ; lead from Spain, Belgium and Mexico ; zinc from Belgium and Norway ; tin from Holland and sulphur from America. On the other hand, France is producer of certain commodities, either not available in the British Empire at all or inaccessible to British markets, such as bauxite, Alsatian potash, North African rock phosphate, Moroccan molybdenum and Algerian antimony. Thus the two nations can give each other valuable support in the economic field.
With her war chest full, territory intact and industries mobilised, France, economically the best balanced of all the industrial countries of Europe, alongside of Britain can face a major war of long duration confident of ultimate success.
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