The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-12
WAR NEWS By MAIL.
THE RHINE FRONTIER,

The NIeanipg of the French Cry $50 the
Rhine v'-The Rhine Provinccsy and What
They Are.
A correspondent of the London Times wrote
as follows to that journal before the commence
ment of actual hostilities:-
''Whle the war between France and Prussia
still hangs fire, and we are held in suspense
about the great events of which we are to be
witnesses, hope some remarks concerning the
probable results of the struggle may be of some
use to your readers. AS the French have been
busy for these last four years with gigantic pre-
parations it is natural to presume that, in their
own estimation at least, they fancy they have
insured success, and that at the close of the war
they will be able to impose their own conditions
upon their vanquished adversaries. France it is
understood, should never have gone to war un-
less it were with view to recover her natural
boundaries, and, ON the eastern side, the only
possible frontier for France ought to be what
It was for Gaul in the time of Cesar-the
Rhine.
"As the war is now to be waged against Ger
many alone, we must first inquire what is un-
territory would fall to France in the event of
her extending her dominions over the whole
left bank of the river. The German Rhine
which France covets consists, of Rhenlsh
Prussia, the provinces of Dusseldorf, Cologne,
Aix-la-C Chapelle, Coblentz, and Treves, with a
population of 3,465, ,063; 2, of Rhenish Bavaria,
with 626. 066 inhabitants; B OF Rhenish Hesse,
with 2S5 665i 4, of Birkenfeld, belonging
! to Oldenburg, with "a, 391; aud
| finally, 5, of Meissenheim, formerly
belonging to Hesse-H -Homburg, then to
| Hesse- Darmstadt, and more lately ceded to
Prussia, with 1906. By merely gaining the
German Rhine France wosld thus add 4,374, ,S91
| human beings TO her population, now already
exceeding 80, 900, 600, and would thus attain
population of AZ, 374 891. By this first addition
however, France, which is already in possession
! of the left bank of the Rhine all the way from
| Basle to Lauterburg, along the Alsatian terri
| tory, would extend her dominion further up
from Lauterburg to Emmerich, including Spires
and Worms, MayeHce Coblentz, Cologne, and
| Dusseldorf.
-s'But to what complications would the reasser-
| ton by France of her rights to her natural
| frontier thus far necessarily give rise? From
the Moselle at Sierck all along the borders of
| Luxembourg, Liege, and Limburg, France would
encompass Holland and Belgium on their eastern,
as she already fronts them along their western,
frontier The whole of the Belgian and a large
portion of the Dutch Netherlands would thus
/ lie within French territory on both sides, as IL
between two great jaws, ready at any moment
to fasten upon them. Nay, more; even beyond
Emmerich, and all the way down to Rotterdam,
| Dutch provinces lie also within the left bank of
the Rhine, and so far did the natural frontier of
| Gaul in ancient times extend.
France may, for a time, and perhaps forever,
| forbear to use her advantage; but were she, In
the event of an indefinite prolongation of the
war, to feel tempted at any time to round Oft her
territory, ii is worth while to consider that Bel
gium alone contains population OF 4, ,09f,
while the Dutch provinces on the left bank OF
the Rhine-Luxemburg, Limburg, and North
BTabant-number no less than 092, 554 inhabit-
ants, and, with part of South Holland would
exceed 1000, 600. The extension of the French
empire 10 its natural frontier of the Rhine
that is, all along its left bank, from the Swiss
frontier at Basle to its mouth near Rotterdam
would thus add to the 38,0O0,000 Frenchmen al
least l0066 $50 new German, Belgian. and Dutch
fellow subjects or constitute State OF little less
than 10000, 600 inhabitants.
aQpc nrtlA
gain about one-fourth of her present extent
but there is hardly any part OF her present
territory which could compare In fertility
wealth, and industry with these new acqpisi'
tions. Such an addition would, besides, confer
upon France long line of sea coast, the mouths
OF the echeldt and the Mas, besides a score oi
the strongest fortresses In Europe.
IAN this and much more did France, within
the memory of living men, make her own by
| right of conquest. am not unwilling 10 accep
her declarations of disiRterestedness and mode