France’s Burden, The Legacy of German Destruction
Paris 14th May 1920
M. André Tardieu, President of Comité des Régions Dévastées, has published the latest official figures showing the losses suffered by France in the Great War:
- Towns and villages partially or entirely destroyed 3,720
- Population driven out and homeless 2,712,000
- Population returned home 1,583,000
- Houses entirely destroyed 319,269
- Houses partially destroyed 313,675
- Houses reconstructed 2,000
- Houses repaired 182,000
- Houses, temporary 14,000
- Bridges destroyed 4,785
- Bridges reconstructed 3,424
- Railways destroyed 3,420 miles
- Railways reconstructed 2,526 miles
- Canals destroyed 997 miles
- Canals reconstructed 490 miles
- Roads destroyed 24,375 miles
- Roads reconstructed 4,717 miles
- Arable land rendered useless 7,290,000 acres
- Arable land cleared of shells 6,525,000 acres
- Arable land relevelled 3,825,000 acres
- Arable land ploughed 2,587,250 acres
- Factories destroyed 11,500
- Factories reconstructed 3,540
- Cattle carried off 2,000,000
- Cattle reintroduced 300,000<
- National debt in France in 1914 £1,400,000,000
- National debt in France in 1920 £7,040,000,000
Article from the Morning Post, 15th May 1920