The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-28
GERMANY AND ALsAoE.
w Saturdar Repie,s.

Germany has at last got Elsass and as much
of Dothringen as she chose to take, and, hav-
ing got them, she has now to govern them
and make them her own. IL is one of the
most curious and interesting experiments
in the art Of government that this modern
world has seen. Elsass cannot forget the
days when it was Alsace. In some unpleasant
and unaccountable manner it cares more for
France than it does for Germany, and tram
Piles on history, and ignores race, and pro-
tests against the results of the war. For
wonder, it actually in the nineteenth century
is not on the side of success
Naturally the French, who have
not much to be proud of Just nov,
are very proud of this; for there is no dispute
about the fact. Prince Bismarck, who at least
has the merit of supreme frankness, allows
his ceuntrymen to foster no illusions on the
matter. Elsass rejects its historical mother,
and clings to its naughty, unfortunate, suffer
ing nurse. But the Germans are not to be
baffled easily They have set themselves so
to govern Alsace that the day shall come
when its French sympathies will have died
away, and it will know and think of nothing
but Germany. How this is to be done is
great problem in government and the mode
in which the problem is sought to be
practically solved is worth the most attentive
study. An excellent description of the Ger
man rule in Alsace has been given under the
Der of the Regue deS DeuD M0ndeS. OF
course it is written from the French point of
view. The writer exults in the failure which
the Germans have hitherto had to encounter.
But it does not appear to be an unfair account
of what has happened, for the author renders
ample Justice to the mixture of indulgence
and frmness which the Germans have dis
played. His triumph would not, in fact, be
half what it is if he blackened the character
af olro ,f khaY,
without skill and without knowledge of the
arts of empire. What delights him is that,
in spite of all the pains they have taken to
apply the most judicious mixture of harsh
ness and lenity, in spite of their knowing
everything, foreseeing everything, bearing
and forbearing largely and long, Elsass can
not abide them, has not the slightest wish to
belong to Germany, and pines for the day
when it shall be once more Alsace.
Immediately after the battles of Weissem-
burg and Woerth, Alsace and German Lor-
raine were seized on as part of Germany.
Every minute detail had been foreseen, and
the exact frontier line had been studiously
traced long before by German patience and
skill This new part of Germany was at
once governed as if it were part of Germany.
1t was never treatedas the districts of France
were treated that we're occupied by the Ger
man armies. Strasburg was indeed bonn
DhIueu, anu M. DuIuOuV represents Gu6 ASA
tians as resenting the needless cruelty of the
bombardment. 1t was quite certain that
Strasburg must yield directly the pa
rallels were pushed far enough,
and the French garrison had no
means of preventing the besiegers from
making their approaches. The bombardment
did no good to the enemy, while it inflicted
infinite misery on the inhabitants. But how
ever true this may have been, it is not pre-
tended that the people of Strasburg would
have looked with any more favor on their
conquerors if they had not been bombarded;
SO that the objection to the bombardment is
the general objection that all bombardments
are useless, rather than that the Ger
mans were unwise in adding this to the other
causes of the antipathy of Alsace When
Strasburg came into their hands the Germans
fixed there the seat of their administration.
A regular machinery for governing the pro-
vince was instituted, and the new authorities
set themselves TO the double task of making
it understood that the Germans were the
true friends of Alsace, and of re-
pressing every sign of sympathy for
France. The Count of Bismarck -Bohlen
was appointed Governor, and although M.
Dumont sneers at his piety, he unhesitatingly
confesses that the Count showed himself most
amiable, considerate, and polite. His subor-
dinates worked in the same spirit. But Ger
the utmost rigor when rigor seems necessary,
and very harsh measures were taken to inspire
q wholesome dread of counteracting the plans
of the conquerors. It was declared to be a
matter of honor with all functionaries that
they should work on behalf of Germany as if
they were Germans. They were expected to
afford every facility to the military operations
of the Germans, and to do everything to
battle the possible military operations of the
French. No one was allowed to pass out of
the commune without special permission. All
arms were sought for and taken away. The
local newspapers were entirely sup
pressed; and ladies who dared to
sing un-German songs, or play un-German
music, were at once arrested. Even
the children were not allowed to play at
games which gave offense to the authorities
It was discovered that the Alsatians spoke
patois unintelligible to Germans, but they
were at once to be made to speak good Ger
man, and French was utterly forbidden in all
schools and official places as the language to
be employed On the other hand, there was
an appearance of much kindness and consid-
Grafton. Some at least of the French officials
who were dispossessed were allowed to retire
on a pension of the full amount of their salary,
and the ordinary taxation of Alsace was not
increased beyond what it had been before the
war. Every effort was made to prove that
the inhabitants of the province had better &C.
cept what was inevitable, and that the
Germans meant well by them. In
short, as NJ. Dumont justly says, both on the
side of harshness and on the side of leniency,
Alsace and German Lorraine were treated
neither better nor worse than Hanover was
treated during and Immediately after the war
of 1866. German government, with its many
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