Part 11

In the afternoon with Dr. Mailloux, a member of the Commission, I paid a visit to General Gosselin, formerly chief of munitions, who had been in America on business for the French Government. He spoke very highly of the steel material furnished by the various American manufacturing plants, and said it would have been impossible for the French to succeed as they had without this help. He urged the shipping of steel on contracts with all possible dispatch. General Gosselin is an important personage, quiet and modest. I was told he had already been of great service to his country.

In the evening we visited "Le Phare de France," or "The Light House of France." This is one of the noblest of the many humane institutions being maintained in France by American means. It is under the management of Miss Winifred Holt, who represents the New York Association for the Blind, and is doing an angel's work among the men blinded in battle, of whom there are more in this war than in any other in history, owing to the many new methods employed and the manner in which battles are fought. Miss Holt is known as "Keeper of the Light House," and is much beloved in France. She is a most engaging young woman and deserves all the kind things said about her by the admiring French. Miss Holt is ably assisted by Miss Cleveland, the charming daughter of the late President Cleveland.

This institution is under the direct patronage of the President of France and a committee composed of the highest officials of that country, although the funds to support it are contributed by wealthy Americans, prominent among whom are the Crockers, of San Francisco. In it the men whose sight has been destroyed are being taught useful occupations and cheered with the hope that they will be able to earn a living. They are also taught to read letters for the blind and thus some of the everlasting darkness to which they had been condemned by the horrors of war is dispelled. It is said that many men who could with difficulty be kept from committing suicide in their despair have become cheerful since entering this institution.

On Monday we visited the famous china establishment Sevres. This is one of the oldest works of the kind in France and its product is known everywhere. The plant has now been taken over by the government and used for making gas containers and other accessories used by the army.

Following the visit to Sevres we were entertained in Paris at luncheon by the Circle Republican. On my right sat David Mennet, President of the Paris Chamber of Commerce; on my left sat Monsieur Laffere, Deputy Minister of Labor. Much valuable information was obtained from both of these gentlemen, but it was not of a nature to be recorded.

In the afternoon we visited the famous Renault automobile plant. This plant has been taken over by the government and is employed in making war materials, automobile trucks, automobiles for military use and munitions. The plant employs twelve thousand men and five thousand women. They are engaged twelve hours daily, with one hour off at noon for luncheon. This was our first visit to a munition plant and we were cautioned to be careful in what we might record concerning what we saw. I was struck by the earnestness of the workmen; the expression on their countenances could be universally interpreted, "We are working for France". After this visit to the Renault plant we inspected the plant of Andre Citroon, a Hollander, but a generalle in Paris. He manufactures munitions only, employing seven thousand, five hundred women and twenty-five hundred men. In both of these plants we saw piles of steel made in America and labeled "Youngstown", "Pittsburgh", "Harrisburg" or "Cleveland".

In the evening we were given a banquet by the American Chamber of Commerce at the Hotel Palais d'Orsay. On my right sat Consul General Thackara, whom I had known for a great many years. His wife was a daughter of the late General Sherman, who said, it will be remembered, "War is Hell". In view of what we saw later I think he was quite right. On my left was First Secretary of Legation, American Embassy, Arthur Hugh Frazier.

The Herald gives an account of this banquet as follows:

Between ninety and a hundred members of the American colony in Paris met at the Hotel Palais d'Orsay yesterday evening at a banquet given by the American Chamber of Commerce for the delegation of the American Manufacturers' Export Association, which has just arrived in France.

The large dining-hall of the hotel was tastefully decorated with roses, carnations and dahlias, and hardly a seat was vacant when dinner was served, about eight o'clock.

After an excellent dinner, which began with "Tortue clair" and went on by easy stages from "Langouste muscovite" and an excellent "Baron de Pauillac" to the "Parfait glace Palais d'Orsay", and dessert, Judge Walter V. R. Berry, Vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce in Paris, and acting as chairman in the absence of the president, Mr. Percy Peixotto, addressed the company, as follows:

We have all heard so often about the caravels of Columbus and about the Mayflower that, perhaps a hundred years from now, in a brand-new Palais d'Orsay Hotel, an eloquent member of the Chamber of Commerce will refer to nineteen hundred and sixteen as the year in which the good ship Lafayette brought over for the first time a great American Industrial Commission to explore Darkest France.

Anyone who views with a philosophic mind the tremendous cataclysm that is convulsing the world must reach this conclusion: that its results will be more profound, more far-reaching, more epoch-making than were the results of the Revolution of 1789.

Where, under the new conditions, will the United States find itself?

It is a difficult problem to solve; but if one cannot answer, it will be at least a step forward to put the right questions. Gentlemen of the Commission, it is for you, on your return to America, to formulate these questions.

Heretofore it has been impossible to get together in Europe a delegation of Americans, each one of whom was ready to sink his private interests. This is the first time that an American Commission has come abroad, forgetting the individual, looking only to the welfare of the State.

Gentlemen, I congratulate you on your public spirit and your patriotism. I congratulate you, too, on your opportunity, the magnificent opportunity of bringing home to the American people the urgent necessities that confront them.

After the sustained applause had subsided Mr. W. W. Nichols gave a brief account of the objects for which the American Industrial Commission came to France. He referred to the impetus which had been given to the whole idea by M. Damour, the French deputy and leader of the French Commission which recently visited the United States, and declared that the representatives of French and American manufacturers and industries might help mutually in solving the industrial problem which affected the sister republics. "Our aim," said Mr. Nichols, "is reciprocity in personal conduct and co-operation which will lead to the solution of many minor difficulties. Our possibilities are enormous."

Mr. Nichols concluded with an expression of thanks for the welcome which the Commission had received in France and an acknowledgment of the services which the American Chamber had rendered both to France and to the United States.

On Tuesday we visited the school for maimed soldiers in Paris. At this place the men who are unable to return to the front are taught all kinds of trades--barbering, soap-making, shoe making, etc.

On Wednesday, September 13th the Commission made a trip to Rouen.

Women in knitting mills there earn four francs daily, working eleven hours; in the webbing mills they earn five francs daily, working eleven hours. There are no unions. A great deal of the product had been marketed in Germany but this market was lost. At Rouen we saw a large British steamer loaded with soldiers enroute to the front. They saluted the American flag. The harbor was full of shipping. The boats draw twenty feet of water.

I met J. M. Belin, a manufacturer of tubes used in flying machines. I had a very interesting talk with Monsieur Belin. He told me there were ten thousand German soldiers being killed daily on all the fronts and that seventy per cent of the iron and coal formerly belonging to France was now in the hands of the Germans.

On Thursday, September 14th, we left Paris for Limoges, arriving there at five P.M. We were given a reception by the mayor of the town and the president of the Chamber of Commerce at the Chamber of Commerce Rooms. We were driven through the town, across the River Vienne. We saw an ancient Roman bridge, said to be more than two thousand years old.

Also a very old cathedral. A very interesting sight, which I had seen in oil paintings, was that of women washing on the banks of the river. The river was lined for nearly a mile with women all occupied in this useful way.

Limoges is the center of the porcelain industry in France. Its exports to the United States are very large. The consul at Limoges was instructed to do all possible to aid the Commission, and, per contra, the Consul at Rouen was instructed not to accept any invitations or recognize the Commission in an official way.

We visited the Martin china works and saw a veritable "Bull in a china shop", that is to say, there was a pair of bullocks hitched to a wagon going through the warehouse while we were there.

We visited the celebrated Haviland plant at Limoges, and met Geo. Haviland, who is well known in America. With him we had quite a discussion regarding the manufacturers at Limoges increasing their output of low grade wares.