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FRANCE 471
agreement because of failure on the part of the stronger interests to live up to the general terms of the arrangement.
Uncertainty concerning the future legislative restrictions in France would hinder, as it had in the past, the activities of American motion picture companies. Under existing conditions, there was little incentive to promote subsidiary producing facilities, distributing contacts, or exhibition houses with American capital. Losses through the suspension of business during negotiations on quota restrictions were unfortunate, not only for the welfare of American companies, but also from the standpoint of the French exhibitor.
Of interest in this connection were the proceedings at Geneva. An international convention for the abolition of import and export prohibitions and restrictions was signed in Geneva in November, 1927, and a supplementary agreement in July, 1928. A considerable number of exemptions and exceptions were approved on the general principle that moral or humanitarian grounds or reasons of public security might be used as a reason for restrictions. As films were not specifically mentioned as an exception, the matter was brought directly before the July conference by the American Minister to Switzerland, who protested against the assignment of such reasons as a pretext for the restriction of American films when the real motive was believed to be a desire to protect home industry by restrictive measures which it was the intent of the convention to abolish.
Commentary: Any commentary which would deal adequately with the issues involved in this case would of necessity be too extensive for publication in this volume. Two general types of issues are involved. One relates particularly to the commercial problems. The dominant place in the French market maintained by American motion picture companies is quite understandable. It was due to a number of factors, among which may be mentioned the momentum of the early start, the greater financial resources, and the larger number of acceptable films produced by American companies. It was natural to expect that French producers would seek to control a larger part of their own market as time elapsed. It was not surprising that they should have resorted to legislative support for their efforts. This policy was in common with that of motion picture interests of other foreign countries. In this particular case it would appear that the French interests had overreached themselves. The inability of mere legislative action to overcome powerful economic forces is again