Explanation
for this lay in the fierce on-rush of the American forces during the
last month of the war.
A forecast that many thousands of American boys would remain in France
was given by Andre Tardieu, General Commissioner for Franco-American
affairs, when addressing the Association of Foreign Correspondents in
New York City, after the armistice had been signed.
M. Tardieu appealed for permission to retain American soldiers in
France. He said:
"We want first an immediate assistance in the matter of labor. We hope
that, during the preparation and the carrying out of the transportation
of your troops back to America your technical units as well as other
units with their equipment will be able to co-operate in that effort. We
soon will have to carry out a colossal work of transportation in view of
the supplying of the regions evacuated by the enemy, of the recovering
of the railroads in Northern and Eastern France and in Alsace-Lorraine.
We will have to clean the reconquered ground of the ruins accumulated by
the German hordes. Your army will help us in this work while our
population will restore her cities and villages.
"Again in reference, not to all purchases--as a large part of our needs
will be supplied outside of the United States--but in reference to those
purchases which will be made in America, we are in need of credits in
dollars covering about fifty per cent of our total purchases for
reconstruction.
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