The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-20
sr1R1x OF rHz PRESS.
Editorial Opinions ofthe Leading Journals
upon Current Topios-CompiIed Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
ALsACE AND LORRAINE.

From the NJ Y. Tribune.
The two provinces of Alsace and Lorraine.
now French, but formerly German, territory,
have not only become prominent during the
last month as the battle-f field of one of the
bloodiest wars of modern times but they
derive an additional interest from the wide
spread expectation that the Germans, if vic
torious, will demand their cession from France
as one of the conditions of peace. Before
the war began, 1t was rare to meet in the Ger
man press with any demand of this kind, and
it is safe to say that a war for the outspoken
purpose of reconquering these two provinces
would have met with general opposition. But
now, when Napoleon has forced the war upon
Germany, and when a large war party, cem-
prising in fact, a majority of the French
people, have made no secret of
their desire to extend the French from
tier to the Rhine, it cannot be surpris-
ing that the Germans have taken up
the gauntlet, and that national cry has
arisen for the recovery of Alsace and Lor-
raine. In few weeks the question may en-
gage the attention of all the great powers of
Europe. The larger portion of the provinces
is at present in the hands of the Germans;
and as a cable despatch advised us few days
ago, the King of Prussia has appointed Gene
raj BONN Governor-G General of Lorraine, and
Count Bismarck Governor General of Alsace.
French newspapers, moreover, report that
the German authorities are appointing in
every community within their lines new
municipal authorities. All this seems to in
dicate that in case Germany should dictate
the terms of peace, the cession of Alsace and
Lorraine will be one of them.
In view of such contingency we give on
another page brief geographical, statistical,
and historical statement of the relation which
these provinces sustain to Germany on the one
hand and to France on the other. One of the
most interesting points in this statement is
the account of the comparative strength of the
German and French nationalities. AS the ma
tionality question has of late obtained an i'm
portant prominence in European politics, the
national relation of the districts has been in
vestigated with the utmost care. and official
accounts of an entirely trustworthy character
are within reach of every one who desires to
understand the subject. 1t appears from these
figures that in the two departments of Asace
out of total population of about /, ,093, 900
inhabitants, fully 1,007,000 belong, even to
this day, to the German nationality, either
speaking German exclusively or North Ger
man and French. In Lorraine the relation
of nationalities is not so favorable to the
Germans. This province has four depart
ments-Meuse, Moselle, Meurthe, and yosges
The first has no German population of any
amount; but the last three, with q total
population of 100000, have a number of
wholly German districts with population of
$4,000. The three departments of Lorraine
and the two of Alsace thus have. in total
population of 2,3S3,OO0 German popula-
tion of 1,359,000, or more than one-half
Germany, on the other hand, has on it's
western frontier but few scattered French
speaking communities, with an aggregate
population of only 10000.
If France should prove the victor in this
war, the Government, with the applause of
the immense majority of the nation, would
demand from Germany the left bank of the
Rhine, with several millions of Germans,
who never, except for a few years. have be-
longed to France. What objection, then,
can the French make, if defeated, to the re-
annexation to Germany of districts which
originally, and for centuries belonged to
Germany, and which still are inhabited by a
German-speaking people? The neutral pow
ers may interpose veto from reasons based
upon the principle of balance of powers; q
portion of the German people may desire
that no part of France be annexed to Ger
many without a previous plebiscit,tm; but
France has certainly forfeited all right OF
remonstrance if the victorious Germans in
sist on the cession of these two ancient Ger
man provinces.