The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1871-03-31
Alsnce and Lorraine.
The Territory Ceded to Germany BY France.

Except that Metz has been coded, we are
still ignorant Of how large part OF Lor-
raine has been wrcsted from the French.
But It 10 certain that all Of Alsace, with the
exception of Belfort, and we suppose, .
narrow strip of territory. has been coded.
Alsace 10 at present divided into two de-
partments- Bias Rim and Haul khin.
Both arc thickly populated. Bas Rhin, by
the latest census. contained 5S8, 200 inhabi-
tants, and Haul Rim $50. 285. Along the
Rhine the people speak the German Ian.
guagc, in the cities and towns the French
IS generally spoken, and in the mountains
the patsOis Of Lorraine is usually employed.
Haul Rim has more the appearance of Ger.
man territory than Bias Rim. The people
have retained the characteristics of their
forefathers to . great extent; their habits
and customs are German, although politi.
cally all the people are intensely French.
BY the cession Of these two departments
France loses valuable territory. Strategic.
ally the loss Is immense. Itplaces the Vos-
ges Mountain and ali its passes into the
hands of tho Germans, and deprives France
of natural line of defense, which was
none the less valuable because 1t failed to
aid her In the present war. Commercially
the loss 10 also great Alsace 10 full of
manufacturing towns, and their prosperity
was principally due to the fostering care Of
the French government. In 1900 the total
population Of Bas Rhin was only 138, 732;
in seventy years it increased 400 per cent
Strasbourg, with its 10000 inhabitants, is
full of enormous fOunGries and extensive
manufactures. But. above all, Strasbourg
must be considered as grand strategic
point. It was, next to Metz, the greatest
fortress IN France. While the French held
it the German lines of communications
were unsafe. In German possession il will
be of greater military value than ever. 1t
army invading France at any time, and 1t Is
absolutely safe from hostile attacks until
tho passes of the V0sges are captured: for
no hostile army leaving Belf0rt would Ven
turc to march down the valley between
the Vosges and the Black Forest unless i,
had first obtained possession Of the frs;
named mountain. ~
%. There are several important manufactu.
ring towns in Bias Rim. Bischwillcr, chef.
bien de earson, has 10000 Inhabitants; So.
verne, 1000 Schiestadt II, 00G ilsguensu.
II, 900; Obcmai, 6,O0o Wissenbourg, 8. 600.
and fifteen or twenty others Of smaller
numbers. All these populations are en-
gagged in manufactures, such as OF metals,
paper, tobacco, etc.
Haut Rim IS more manufacturing than
on agricultural department. Its principal
towns are ColMar, with SJ.OU0 lnlIaDI:a1IS;
Ssinte. Marie aux Mines, $1,000; MulGouse.
&C. 600. Ribcauville, 5000, &c. Dot. Col
mar and Mulhousc are noted for their man
ufacturcs Ut cotton and iron. 1t is, or rath.
er was, iu a measure, the Birmingham and
Manchester of France. The various kinds
of clothes made in Haut Rhin are familiar
10 all Americans, as they are yearly i'm.
ported in immense quantities into the Uni
ted States. -.
It will thus be seen that in every respect
the loss Of A!sacc infiicts severe blow
upon France. Originally inhabited by the
Gauls, the province was conquered by the
Allemands, who settled in and ruled it
until they were almost nHnihilatcd by tho
Huns. In 40C, after the victory of To!liac.
the Franks extended their territory to The
left bank of the Rhine. sweeping in all of
Alsacc. After the death of Clovis tho two
Alsaccs were united into one duchy, and
were included in the kingdom of Aus,rasia
until the death of Childellct, in e43, when
the treaty of Verdun detached the duchy
from the Frankish Monarchy and Joined Il
to Lorraine. under the heirs of Louis le &c.
bonnairs; but subsequent to his death, in
$40, the territory was attached to the Gun.
pire of Germany. 1t ought 10 bc borne in
mind until this time the inhabitants Of AL.
SAGE were Franks, and had been such for
four hundred years. The claim, then, that
Alsace was always German. is a palpable
error. 1t was originally Gallo, then Ger.
man, until recovered by the descendants Of
,Alsace embraced the cause of the first
Nsnonh R~wnSss tsnu vrsNh wso>~ ,xlr~ >.A a.