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34
up during preliminary restoration. The truck
tourist business, and is planning to make a
fleet, which stood at 467,000 units before the
considerable investment in this field.
war, totaled somewhere between 450,000 and
(4) Air Transport.
510,000 at the end of 1948.
The French air transport industry is largely
(2) Merchant Marine.
nationalized. In 1938 the French airlines
The French merchant marine is largely
were operated by several companies, owning
state-controlled and state-owned. Ranking
a combined fleet of several hundred airplanes
eighth in tonnage in 1938, it occupied sixth
that joined Paris with the principal capitals of
place in 1948, below the fleets of the US, UK,
Europe, North Africa, the Near, Middle, and
Panama, Norway, and the Netherlands. It
Far East. In the last prewar year, transport
suffered large losses during the war, and its
planes flew 6,500,000 miles, carried 100,000
surviving tonnage at Liberation was only 30
passengers, 1,500 metric tons of freight, and
percent of prewar. The purchase of old Allied
1,000 metric tons of mail. Today Paris is the
vessels, some deliveries of new vessels from
focal point of the airlines of many foreign na-
foreign shipyards, and domestic construction
tions, four-fifths of this air traffic being oper-
have brought the 1948 year-end tonnage to
ated by British, Dutch, Scandinavian, Swiss,
about 2,800,000 gross tons, still somewhat be-
and US companies. The National Company
low the 1939 level of 2,950,000 tons. Further-
Air France, a merger of most of the former
more, the patchwork postwar fleet will require
leading private lines, was constituted on 1
many replacements, for at present it is handi-
September 1948 as the main French air line.
capped by the large number of vessels over 25
It is almost completely nationalized. Air
years old, and the large proportion (550,000
France has a hundred separate lines in serv-
tons) of uneconomic Liberty ships. It also
ice, covering 125,000 miles. The company
needs many more tankers. By the end of
serves to heighten French prestige and dis-
1949 the merchant marine is scheduled to
seminate French propaganda, and is an in-
have regained its prewar tonnage; by 1952 it
strument of considerable military strategic
value.
is supposed to aggregate 3,200,000 gross tons.
It is noteworthy that increase in tonnage
(5) Telecommunications.
achieved between 1945 and 1948 is as great as
The French telecommunications system
that recorded by the merchant fleet in the
PTT (Post, Telegraph and Telephone Admin-
seven years succeeding World War I.
istration), is a State monopoly. Never highly
(3) Ports and Harbors.
efficient by US standards, nor even by com-
parison with other countries of continental
The great French ports are Le Havre and
Europe or with the UK, the system suffered
Dunkerque on the Channel, Bordeaux on the
considerably from war damage and lack of
Atlantic, and Marseille on the Mediterranean.
maintenance. The service provided, however,
The damage suffered by the ports and har-
is adequate today. The system extends to the
bors was more severe than that suffered by
most remote corners of the nation in a vast
industry in general, and their reconstruction
network of aerial wire lines, underground ca-
has represented a major problem. During
bles, radio, and even television. Some indica-
1948, it is estimated that the traffic handled
tion of the coverage afforded is offered by the
by the ports of France totalled about 90 per-
following statistics. At the end of 1947, there
cent of 1938. This performance indicates the
were 1,332,933 telephone subscribers in
substantial effort made in the restoration of
France, as against 1,001,247 in 1938. The In-
dock quays and warehouses, and in the clear-
ternational Telephone and Telegraph Corpo-
ing and dredging of channels. The ports and
ration's French subsidiary and the Swedish
harbors, unlike so many other sectors of the
Ericcson Telephone Company have, in the
economy, will probably not attain their 1938
past, provided most of the French telephone
condition for some years to come. France,
equipment.
however, recognizes the role of its port facili-
There are several French international sub-
ties in the expansion of its foreign trade and
marine cables in operation between France
ECRET
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"ocrText": "34\nup during preliminary restoration. The truck\ntourist business, and is planning to make a\nfleet, which stood at 467,000 units before the\nconsiderable investment in this field.\nwar, totaled somewhere between 450,000 and\n(4) Air Transport.\n510,000 at the end of 1948.\nThe French air transport industry is largely\n(2) Merchant Marine.\nnationalized. In 1938 the French airlines\nThe French merchant marine is largely\nwere operated by several companies, owning\nstate-controlled and state-owned. Ranking\na combined fleet of several hundred airplanes\neighth in tonnage in 1938, it occupied sixth\nthat joined Paris with the principal capitals of\nplace in 1948, below the fleets of the US, UK,\nEurope, North Africa, the Near, Middle, and\nPanama, Norway, and the Netherlands. It\nFar East. In the last prewar year, transport\nsuffered large losses during the war, and its\nplanes flew 6,500,000 miles, carried 100,000\nsurviving tonnage at Liberation was only 30\npassengers, 1,500 metric tons of freight, and\npercent of prewar. The purchase of old Allied\n1,000 metric tons of mail. Today Paris is the\nvessels, some deliveries of new vessels from\nfocal point of the airlines of many foreign na-\nforeign shipyards, and domestic construction\ntions, four-fifths of this air traffic being oper-\nhave brought the 1948 year-end tonnage to\nated by British, Dutch, Scandinavian, Swiss,\nabout 2,800,000 gross tons, still somewhat be-\nand US companies. The National Company\nlow the 1939 level of 2,950,000 tons. Further-\nAir France, a merger of most of the former\nmore, the patchwork postwar fleet will require\nleading private lines, was constituted on 1\nmany replacements, for at present it is handi-\nSeptember 1948 as the main French air line.\ncapped by the large number of vessels over 25\nIt is almost completely nationalized. Air\nyears old, and the large proportion (550,000\nFrance has a hundred separate lines in serv-\ntons) of uneconomic Liberty ships. It also\nice, covering 125,000 miles. The company\nneeds many more tankers. By the end of\nserves to heighten French prestige and dis-\n1949 the merchant marine is scheduled to\nseminate French propaganda, and is an in-\nhave regained its prewar tonnage; by 1952 it\nstrument of considerable military strategic\nvalue.\nis supposed to aggregate 3,200,000 gross tons.\nIt is noteworthy that increase in tonnage\n(5) Telecommunications.\nachieved between 1945 and 1948 is as great as\nThe French telecommunications system\nthat recorded by the merchant fleet in the\nPTT (Post, Telegraph and Telephone Admin-\nseven years succeeding World War I.\nistration), is a State monopoly. Never highly\n(3) Ports and Harbors.\nefficient by US standards, nor even by com-\nparison with other countries of continental\nThe great French ports are Le Havre and\nEurope or with the UK, the system suffered\nDunkerque on the Channel, Bordeaux on the\nconsiderably from war damage and lack of\nAtlantic, and Marseille on the Mediterranean.\nmaintenance. The service provided, however,\nThe damage suffered by the ports and har-\nis adequate today. The system extends to the\nbors was more severe than that suffered by\nmost remote corners of the nation in a vast\nindustry in general, and their reconstruction\nnetwork of aerial wire lines, underground ca-\nhas represented a major problem. During\nbles, radio, and even television. Some indica-\n1948, it is estimated that the traffic handled\ntion of the coverage afforded is offered by the\nby the ports of France totalled about 90 per-\nfollowing statistics. At the end of 1947, there\ncent of 1938. This performance indicates the\nwere 1,332,933 telephone subscribers in\nsubstantial effort made in the restoration of\nFrance, as against 1,001,247 in 1938. The In-\ndock quays and warehouses, and in the clear-\nternational Telephone and Telegraph Corpo-\ning and dredging of channels. The ports and\nration's French subsidiary and the Swedish\nharbors, unlike so many other sectors of the\nEriccson Telephone Company have, in the\neconomy, will probably not attain their 1938\npast, provided most of the French telephone\ncondition for some years to come. France,\nequipment.\nhowever, recognizes the role of its port facili-\nThere are several French international sub-\nties in the expansion of its foreign trade and\nmarine cables in operation between France\nECRET"
}