The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-17
A GOOD PLACE TO KEEP AWAY
FROM.

EEtOlA"
The little strip Of country known as Al
sace-Lorraine has caused a good deal of
trouble in Europe and is now giving some
to the United States. They are the two
little provinces which, lying between Ger
many and France, were for a long time a
bone Of contention between those two
countries. As a result of the Franco-Ger-
man war of 1870 they passed into the pos
session Of Germany and they now form the
Reichsland, or imperial land Of the Ger
man empire. Since their acquisition the
German government has been trying to
Germanize them by roofing out the French
language and substituting German for
French allegiance. The work has been
slow, but it is probably being done in a
way that will make it sure. But France
has never got over the humiliation of hav-
ing to cede the provinces to Germany,
thus, as it is claimed by Frenchmen, mu-
tilating her frontier and every little while
some popular leader in French politics tries
to start a new crusade for their recovery.
If Germany and France ever come to war
again the recovery of Alsace-Lorraine will
be the main objective point on the part of
France. OF course. it will never be &C
complished, but it will make a good war
cry for Frenchmen. The two provinces
have an area of about $500 square miles
less than one-sixth Of the area of Indiana
with a population at the last census Of
1,64O,9S The chief city is S~trasburg.
-
come from Alsace-Lorraine to the United
States and have become naturalized Amer
lean citizens. They are found in all the
centers of population and there are some in
this city. 1t is this fact that is giving the
United States government some trouble.
AS Alsace-Lorraine was only annexed to
Germany in 1871 our naturalization treaties
made with the German States previous to
that time do not apply to those provinces,
and, as no later treaty has been made, nat
uralized American citizens born in Alsace-
Lorraine and going back there have no
protection and are liable to be arrested
and imprisoned under the hard German
rule that denies a persons right to change
his citizenship. This happened recently to
one Hecht, of New York, a naturalized
American citizen. who. having returned to
Alsace-Lorraine to settle up a family es-
tate, was arrested and thrown into prison
on the claim that he owed military service.
He says the German officials spat at his
passport and declared it was worthless in
Germany. After being kept in Jail several
days he was released, with orders to leave
the country at once. He laid his case be-
fore the State Department at Washington,
but was informed that in existing circum-
stances he had no redress. The assistant
secretary Of state, in a letter on the sub
jsct, said:
Alsace-Lorraine, having become a part of
m since our naturalization treaties
with the other German States were made,
and no treaty having since been nego-
tiated relative to visits to those provinces
of former residents who have become nat
uralZed American citizens, it is a fact that
natives OF AlSace-Lorraine, under existing
circumstances, MAJ be subjected to incon-
venience and possible detention by the
German authorities in case they return
without having first sought and obtained
permission TO do so from the imperial gov
ernOr at Strasburg. The department, while
not acquiescing in the German construction
Of existing treaty and law in their applica-
ton to United States citizens who visit AL
sace-Lorraine, is nevertheless, IN the abb
sence of explicit treaty stipulations, with
out the means of preventing their deten-
ton and expulsion.
TIL government of Alsace-Lorraine is pc
culiar. The administrator is in the hands
of a governor general. He is the direct rep
resentative Of the imperial government, and
is located at S~trasburg. the capital. 1t is to
this petty ~potentate that naturalized Amer
lean citizens born in Alsace-Lorraine must
apply for permission to revisit their native
country. 1t is "a good country for that
class of American citizens TO keep out of.