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Chapter 90: Fleecing the French (2)
🕑 Added 2024-12-14 14:31:35 +0000 UTC“What do you want? As long as it’s reasonable, we can negotiate!” De Gaulle’s eyes lit up.
“France may not be under your control, but Germany’s assets are up for grabs,” Josh said with a sly smile.
De Gaulle, shrewd as he was, immediately understood.
He couldn’t control French assets, but as a representative of the French military, he had significant say in the post-war division of German resources.
Indeed, de Gaulle had no authority over France’s national assets as the interim leader.
But when it came to postwar reparations and territorial divisions involving Germany and its allies, de Gaulle, as a prominent representative of the French military, wielded considerable influence.
What Josh wanted was for France to pledge its as-yet-undetermined postwar claims against Germany in exchange for supplies.
“That can be arranged. Any reparations France secures after the war can be prioritized for your selection, provided their value doesn’t exceed the worth of the supplies you provide,” de Gaulle replied without much hesitation.
“Of course, that’s acceptable,” Josh agreed readily.
After World War II, although France was the least significant of the four major Allied powers, it still gained control over a sizable occupation zone in Germany, which it administered from 1945 to 1949. The revenues from this territory alone would suffice to repay the supplies Josh provided.
Initially, Austria was also supposed to include a French occupation zone. However, if the upcoming Operation Eagle's Nest succeeded, Austria might instead be classified as one of the victors, leaving France empty-handed in that regard.
“For Paris to overcome its current food crisis, we need at least 120,000 tons of grain. How much can you provide, and at what price?” de Gaulle asked, eager to finalize the deal.
France’s food shortage stemmed not only from German plundering but also from this year’s poor wheat harvest.
French wheat was primarily winter wheat, harvested in June and July. The chaos of war and German seizures had left France with less than one-fifth of its usual yield—far too little to sustain the population.
As for the potatoes planted in August, they wouldn’t be ready for harvest until November at the earliest.
While farmers in rural areas could still hoard some grain, cities like Paris faced dire shortages. Feeding the two million residents of Paris alone would require enough food to last two months—and that was with strict rationing.
“I can’t supply 120,000 tons,” Josh replied after a moment of thought.
Even if he could, he wouldn’t.
Transporting a few tons or dozens of tons of food into Paris daily was one thing—it could be done discreetly and wouldn’t attract much attention.
But 120,000 tons at once? Even the U.S. military’s logistics department couldn’t handle that without raising eyebrows. If Josh attempted it, the operation would be impossible to conceal.
Moreover, Josh wasn’t the only one profiting from selling supplies in wartime Paris. Other American merchants were doing the same, though their goods were neither as plentiful nor as high-quality as his.
Even the U.S. military itself was involved in this lucrative trade.
Josh could enjoy the lion’s share of the profits, but he couldn’t afford to completely shut out others—or destroy the system entirely. That would undoubtedly lead to backlash.
“However, I can provide 10,000 tons per month,” Josh continued, proposing a number that wouldn’t draw undue scrutiny.
Ten thousand tons—roughly the capacity of two Liberty ships. Given the distance between the U.S. and Paris and the ships’ speed, a monthly delivery schedule was feasible.
“But mostly canned meat. I don’t have much wheat or potatoes to offer,” Josh added.
“That’s more than enough! What’s your price?” de Gaulle asked, no longer as worried about the quantity. He understood that Josh couldn’t possibly supply all 120,000 tons at once.
Still, 10,000 tons of canned meat per month exceeded his expectations.
“The price is $10,000 per ton. I believe that’s very reasonable,” Josh said, naming his price without hesitation.
Hearing the figure, de Gaulle’s lips trembled slightly.
Ten thousand dollars per ton.
That translated to $10 per kilogram.
By any standard, this was an exorbitantly high price in terms of the U.S. dollar’s purchasing power.
But for Paris in its current state, it was a bargain.
The official exchange rate between the franc and the dollar was 5 francs to 1 dollar.
But what were prices like in Paris now? A one-kilogram chicken cost 100 francs, and a single egg cost 3 francs.
In dollar terms, a kilogram of chicken cost $20—twice the price of Josh’s canned meat.
And that was for live chickens. Once processed, at least 20% of the weight would be lost to inedible parts like bones and internal organs.
Josh’s canned meat, by contrast, was pure meat—rich, fatty, and almost entirely free of fillers like starch.
In comparison, Josh’s $10 per kilogram was indeed a very reasonable price.
Before coming to Josh, de Gaulle had approached several other major Parisian merchants. Most either refused to sell or demanded exorbitant prices far higher than Josh’s.
No one was easier to negotiate with than Josh.
Nevertheless, de Gaulle felt his heart break.
Two months of food at 10,000 tons per month would cost $200 million.
That was enough to equip ten armored divisions.
Take, for instance, the Free French 2nd Armored Division: its main force consisted of 85 Stuart light tanks, 164 Sherman medium tanks, 36 M10 Wolverine tank destroyers, 64 armored vehicles, 664 half-tracks and patrol vehicles, 27 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8, and 54 M7 Priest 105mm self-propelled howitzers.
And the price of these weapons? A Stuart cost less than $40,000, while a Sherman was priced between $50,000 and $60,000.
The M10 Wolverine tank destroyer was the most expensive at nearly $100,000.
Adding everything together, it actually came to just over $20 million.
$200 million dollars—doesn’t that make ten armored divisions?
“This price… is very reasonable!” De Gaulle shakily pulled a cigarette from his pocket, trembling as he lit it, took a puff, exhaled a few smoke rings, and said in a deep voice, “When will the goods be delivered?”
