The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-11-11
THE DECAY 81 ALsACE.
prospective Ruin of a Great In.
dustrial District.
French Blunders-Jules Favres short-Sighted-
ness-Thiers Just as Bad-How Bismarck
Hoodwinked Both-The Rich Manu-
featuring Districts Of Alsace in
Danger - Poor Alsace.

A short tour through the province Of Alsace has
enabled me 70 obtain information calculated to
throw some light on the subject matter connected
with the controversy now pending between France
and Germany 1t is needless to say that the cession
oftwo OF her most prosperous departments iAnicts
France pecunary loss OF the most appalling mag.
nitude. One Of the most nourshing branches Of In
ries. On inquiry 1t Will be found that the loss of
capital invested at Mulhouse, Wesserling and the
neighbOrhood is vartously estimated at nom forty
to fifty million dollars But that Is hardly the ques
ton now at issue. nation, paying to the foreign
invader tribute OF 81, 0OO OO0 900. probably az
ford TO part with an additional $1OO 0O0, 900 or
5000 600 900 without seriously aectng the national
wealth. Still 1t would puzzle our old ''poiticansn
who held to the maxim Of "Millions for defence not
q cent for tribute" Statesmen Of modern Europe
seem resolved to recast that system.
A BAD BLUNDER.
AT the time when the prellmlnaries Of reace were
arranged at Versailles no alluson was made to COM
mercla AFFAIRS The chivalrous Jules Favre, who
loathed to give IN one stone OF the French for
tresses, was too proud, too naughty to touch on
matters connected with trade Though considered
smart lawyer and an able debater, that man
proved very poor negotiatOr. Overcome with his
melodramatic pathos it apparently never occurred
TO him to take steps for the purpose Of protecting
the commercial interests OF the country. With a
little forethought and ordinary measures Of precau
tlon 1t would have been possible to from ruin
and destruction the private property or thousands
OF families. Even In their negotiations at Frank
fort-on-the- Main NJ jules Favre and M. Pouyer-
Qnertier failed to assert the claims to which the
commerce Of France generally and that OF Asace
especially were entitled. The two provinces were
rretrievably lost. ana with them, as matter Of
course, the property appertaining to the SOIL well
the produce OF the industry OF the Inhabitants.
HOW THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS WERE CONDUCTED.
But, while 1t was impossible to resist the rapacity
OF the Prusslans, there is abundant evidence to
show that but for the reckless and Off-hand manner
in which the French delegates conducted the peace
negotiations France would have been saved many
hardsh,ps. private properly would have been
protected and much individual suffering could have
been allevated. President Thiers himself was ig-
norant OF what he was doing when he traded away
important coal and mining districts, situated on
the borders OF the Duchy of Luxembourg In eX-
change for q strip Of land which, it was commended,
the French engineers required to strengthen TIL po
stion OF the fortress OF Belfort The same depor.
able ignorance has been revealed In the negotiations
now pending between the two countries. All that
can be said is that the Russians have far better
knowledge than the French themselves OF the value
OF territory and OF commerce In France.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE,
NJ Pouyer Querter, has started for Berlin with the
view OF smoothing down the difficulties which have
But what good can be expected from
q man who Is SO wifuly blind to all experiences
made IN other couniriesi The reduction in the
postal tariff has everywhere produced an increased
revenue. NJ. PouyerQ uertier Is vain enough to be-
leve that he is In position to benefit the National
the French people. With mind running IN that !
groove he Is continually lighting with shadows. ii.
OAK but from wllow hence he stickles at the loss
OF few dollars OF which the customs receipts may
be deprived If he accedes to the German demands
while In another the loss TO the country Will
make itselt felt tenfold ON the other hand, the
Prussians should be mindful that 1t ~ dangerous to
hurt even bad neghbor. II would be well for
Prince Bismarck TO see the necessity OF aDstaining
from injury violence, and to remember that those
who govern others by have cause to be them
selves the most terrified.
THE DISTRICT OF MULHOUsE
may be designated as the Lowell OF France. Prior
to the outbreak OF hostilltes there upwards OF
two million spndles In notlon in the cotton acto-
ries OF that district. An Official return gave the
following figures IN 1882 and since that period there
Sptnd,es.
Department Of Upper Rhine ............. l,4l72eo
Department. OF vosges. ................ 46l,454
Moseiie anu MeuftAe. ................... 100000
Total Observation-Disclosures. 2,13l,SA
This immense amount OF industrial wealth was
crammed together III q small corner OF the PROVINCE
While the total NUMBER OF spindles spread over the
whole German Fatherland barely reaches the figure
OF three millions. The cotton factories throughout
the German Zollverein comprise $1,000 or 5000
ment Of the Upper Rhine there are up
wards of twenty-eight thousand five hundred
annexed territory is estimated 10 comprise Is 800
power looms, say, IL GOO more than possessed by
all the German States together. With such immense
additions to the sources or wealth 1t might he
thought that the German government would be
found willing to act With magnanimlty towards the
conquered. The very reverse is however the
case.
HARDsHIPs OF TIE ALsATIAN COTTON spISNERs.
Severed, as he now Is, from his old connections
the Asatian cotton spinner or manufacturer Is ex-
posed to peculiar nardshps. His produce, hitherto
vored by protective duties, neither cotton yarn nor
cloth was exposed to competition with fabrics I'm
ported from foreign countries. The outle OF all Al
satlan produce was mainly obtained through Paris.
The malnstay OF all French manufacturers es i'm an
there are very few exceptions, the whole pro-
ducton OF factory Is placed into the
hands OF one or several commission houses.
foreign markets, as the case may be.
Those familiar with trade in Paris know that the
entire OF the Rue du Sentier Rue st. Fiacre and
others Is almost exclusively occupied by stores
nlled with Aisatan produce. The commission
houses in most cases undertook the Delcredere as
IL Is termed, and guaranteed the manufacturer on
payment OF q small commission, against capital
loss Stl that was hardly necessary, lnasmuch as
the majority OF sales are effected against cash pay
ment; or, at any rate, at short date e., sixty or
ninety days approved bills. The mcthodIcal man.
ner in winch business is conducted places the man
ufaciurer beyond the reach Of ordinary vcissltudes
and fluctuations lie had neither to seek nor to
nurse customer. relying as he did implicitly on
the integrity and energy of the Intermediary In
Paris. The manufacturer, relieved TO certain ex-
tent OF much anxiety and responsibility was en-
abled TO husband his means aud to concentrate all
his energy on the mere manufacturing process ana
TO the perfection OF his produce. Furthermore there
Is
ADMIRABLE DIVISION OF LABOR
Thus for instance, manufacturer OF cotton cloths
Is not always prepared TO dye his goods, has the
calico printer the ambition or weaving his own
cloth. The spinner, the weaver, the dyer. the
printer and the calenderer each forming sepa-
rate interests. With the speciality OF q trade each
branch IS IN position Of realIzag a higher degree
OF economy, as well as OF attaining greater perfec.
uon IN the production OF the goods. The position OF
German manufacturer Is Numerically opposed to
that oil the Frenchman's. Spinning. weaving. dive.
my &c, all are manipulated under the same roof.
lnere II no intermediary line-the goods are taken
from the manufacturers direct to the retail store
FONTS OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GERMAN AND
OTHER MANUFACTURERS
prlately nave been designated as the Disunited
States, mas no point OF GENERALIZATION Saving some
exceptional cases, the manufacturer in Cermanv
was confined, as II were, TO a local trade This CIR.