Evening star., 1898-10-08
Most hearty congratu-
AEnIGGhN

| iations DATRISSoN
Not even German military decorum could
| withstand this momentous news. The staff
| officers bioke out into strong cultural
| calculations, but Vansittart stayed them by
| a wave of his hand.
Now, your majesty, which is II to- be?
Am l to march to complete Daubisson's
| and fulIy?'
| Wilhelm dropped his hands and looked
| round.
Very well. Be 1t So" he said. But
soldiers, not mayors. shall utter the first
word Gentlemen. you are cognizant of all
| that mas happened. Am to answer Yes
| or No to NJ. Vansittart?'
| He named them all individually. Each
man agreed, though some of the voices
were tremulous with grief 1t was a bitter
sequel to the war of '70-71 for the veterans
Of Mars la Tour and Sedan.
| Good, said the kaiser. rising from his
Ghair; g! will make the best of it, NJ.
| Vansittart: There is my hand on it"
| And with the King of Francew said
Jerome. accepting the proffered handshake
! With the King Of France, by all means"
| But they were continental monarchs so
| Wilhelm and Henri embraced
| NOW, cried Wilhelm, from whom a
| great depression had seemingly passed in
| about it?'
| After your majesty has signed a Jocu-
| ment briefly reciting our agreement, 1 will
| nave much pleasure in giving you and these
| other gentlemen every facility for retoin-
ing your army on the frontier. You can,
| iike me, telegraph orders to suspend hos
| t1lities until your arrival"
And 1ei these mayors? When do they
meet?' The kaiser did not yet take kindly
| 10 the stipulation. 1t still ranked
The day after tomorrow at Metz
same evening the mayor of Marseilles, who
by reason of seniority in years had been
elected spokesman for the others, sen: mes
sages to both camps to the effect that the
council was ready with its report
The intense curiosity that prevailed in the
breasts OF French and German statesmen
brought them rapidly to the Hotel de Vile
Not alone Nansittart and the two monarchs
but every minister and prominent official
who had the slightest claim to be present
put In an appearance, and the grand salon
OF the town hall was filled with brilliant
and animated throng when the mayors SOL
emnly filed in from their memorable CON
clave.
Have you unanimously agreed upon your
recommendations gentlemen" said Van
stuart and the query induced profound
silence in the crowded room.
we nave, said the mayor of Marseilles
stepping forward. he read with clear and
emphatic voice the following:
we, the undersigned mayors of twelve
FRENCH and German cities, in pursuance of
the great trust committed to our care. are
unanimously of opinion:
Il. That the province of Lorraine as
marked out by reasonably straight line
drawn from Donon in the Vosges mountains
TO- put not including, the town of Saarge-
mund, shall in future be French territory
the legal boundary to be fixed by a proper
ly constituted commission.
That the province of Elsass, naturally
de1lned by the watershed of the Vosges
mountains, shall remain German territory
with the addition of the small portion of
Lorraine lying to the east of the line indi-
Gated in paragraph /.
works of military significance within the
limits of the said provinces of Lorraine and
Elsass be forthwith leyeled to the ground
t. Ihat all so-called strategic railways
IN hoth provinces shall be speedily linked
together and Joined, where practicable to
the main lines of France and Germany, for
the better development of commerce and
the promotion of mutual intercourse
.. That no officer of the army shall hold
administrative positions in either of the
provinces.
''6. That no troops shall be stationed in
large numbers. nor military stores or arm
aments collected within 100 French kilo-
meters of the new frontier line.
Z. That the customs and police authori-
ties of France and Germany shall be solely
intrusted with the conduct of frontier
regulations, which shall be framed only in
regard to revenue and legal necessities
That in all other respects there shall
the two countries
Then the mayor read the names and desig-
nations of himself and his colleagues
AT once buZ of eager comment arose
1t means the dismantling of Strasbourg
and Muihausen,'' cried the kaiser.
We get Metz shorn of it's defenses while
Belfort. Verdon and every fortress in the
east of France must be torn to pieces" vo-
ciferated Henri.
''Preposterous," growled the German Off
GERS.
Ridiculous" cried the Frenchmen.
Then everyone looked at Vansittart who
had meanwhile secured the report from the
mayor of Marseilles and had perused il
with the aid of a small map.
Raising his head he obtained hearing
i am glad to note he said with a smile
that nobody seems to be satisfied. There
men have tried to be just Nay, more, they
have succeeded in their efforts. Their
award exceeds my utmost hopes. while Ii
more than juStitieS the confidence ! placed
in them They have given to France
French Lorraine; they have secured to
Germany German Elsass. And because
they have arrived at a conclusion outlined
for them by natural law they take strin-
gent precautions lest the power of men to
do i'll deeds makes ill deeds done. Surely
they have well acquitted themselves. If
ever men deserved honor these do. In few
hours. aided only by their common sense
they have achieved triumphs which two
generations of statesmen and generals,
backed by millions Of soldiers, have wholly
failed 10 achieve. My friends, think what
1t means. There are no longer lost prov
inces or hostile principalities. Let US mar
vel at their work. rather than cavil at its
methods If we do the whole world will
join In our chorus of praise"
Little more remains to be told. Folliet
captured Ribou; Arizona Jim shot Hans
Schwartz just to keep him out of mischief,
and the fncipient revolution in Paris died