1. N. Ca respondent.
Lisbon. May 27.
In what is unquestionably the gest organized looting project la istory, Germany is taking over a ig part of French industry, lock. stock and barrel. But the amazing hing about. this, apart from its magnitude, which distinguishes it from.booty grabs of the past, that all is being done "legally." Germany is poying for its loot with French" francs, Under terms of the Armistice, France agreed to pay Germany Fr 400,000,000 a day; this staggering sum just under $10,000,000 al: the officio: rate. was levied for the maintenance of the German Army of Occupation in Franco.
The cost of the upkeep. however, of the Army of Occupation does not exceed Fr. 125000000 a day. Thus each day the German authorities ha: Fr. 275,000,000 clear after paying e: penses of the Army of Occupation One of the main uses they are making of this great sum is the purchase of French-industries. By the end of the war they expect to control. with clear legal titles. French heavy industry, publishing and the radio.
Other French Industries Bought All French industry on the con-trent outside France is being bought up, including their interests in Skoda in Czechoslovakia and the fabulous mines De Bor. Europe's richest coprer mines in Yugoslavia. M. Laval concluded the mines De Bor deal When Marshal Petain learned of this dea! he popularly credited with having said "M. Laval is selling France piece by nece."
French heavy industry, mostly located in the south. and publishing enterprises also have been purchased on a large scale. A large part of the press in the occupied region is either partly or wholly German-owned.
The Germans bought into Havas, the French news agency and national advertising monopoly so heavily that the company had to reorganize to avoid falling completely into Germa hands. Under the reorganization. Havas turned over control of the rich advertising monopoly, but kept control of the news end of the agency
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.