New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-11

rsipe we're becoming honestly reconc,ied to
their new lot The Kaiser, from the very first,
made II one OF his -specar tasks to bring this
about and as matter of fact, William IL. has
nowhere been as popular on German soil as in
these reconquered provinces. That the latter
have prospered greatly prospered, under The
fog of the Young. empire nobody can deny
Stra sburg to-day has nearly three times the
nonuIation 1t had in 1870; Metz has grown ana
so have Schlettstadt. Colmar, Milhausen, and
Whale large Industries have been fostered and
aoyeIoped while Alsatian wine and fruit are
can, IN thousands of German homes at good
nrices AT the re-established University OF
strashurg to-day 900 students. for the most
part sons of the soil. are annually trained mo
loyal Germans.
Add to these the further facts that new
generation las grown up in Alsace ana Loi-
ratne knowing nothing except by hearsay oL
France and French rule; that the great maJo'
ity of the dissatisfied and protesting olo-t''i
crs" have gone TO live in France or else enlsra'-
ed 10 America since 1870 and that compuisory
military service has brought the young men q"
contact with Germans throughout the empire
IN sympathy with German thought, custoii
and aspirations. and one has much or the en-
PLANTATION for the undeniable fact that the peo-
pie of Alsace-Lorrane are rapidly oecoiiiiie'
and that nrobably the bulk of them has al
ready become, good Germans In every sehse'
II would be strange indeed If 1t We're other
wise for after all the AIsatians and most Oh
the German Lorrainers are OF purely Ieu'oiic
stock are In fact, of that very tribe or Ale
manni that made the French apply the name OF
''aremands" to all the people OF German oloou
to this day. And it only during the eighty
years that interviewed between the outbreak Oh
the French Revolution and the war of 1870 that
these Alsatians and Lorrainers began 10 feel
themselves az Frenchmen. Even as late as
Goethes student days. we can read in his
letters and IN 'Wahrheit und Dichtuns," the
German poet felt thoroughly as if he were at
home there"
Well the best proof of ali this is that Alsace-
Lorraine is now expressing her wish TO cease
as the "Reichslande" and to become Bundles
land" an integral sovereign state Of the Ger
man Empire. just as is Prussia, or Baden. or
Saxony. with a ruler of her own In point OF
population these two provinces passed the two
million mark some time ago, and hence are
OF sufficient Importance to become an indie
pendent kingdom like Wurttemberg its neigh
Dor, but whether a Hohenzollern prince or
some other one of the older dynasties in Ger
many, like. the Victims (Ssxony) the Guelphs
(of Bavaria), will be called by the people to
preside over them, is question about which
nothing as yet has become public. The adjust
ment of the matter. however might be utilized
in laying the weary ghost of the Guelph problem
in Germany existing IN more or less virulent
state ever since the dethronement of George
of Hanover in 1866.
The movement in Alsace-Lorraine 10 be for
GsTD,,. o,nicy
States making up the empire is large and pow
erful. and-another hopeful sight proceeds
especially from the liberal clements of the
Re!chslende. those not under the political domi-
nation of the bigoted priesthood and of the
Centre party, and embraces Of course, the
Protestant minority OF the Reichslande. com
prising about one-third COR about 100000 OF
the entire population. And this movement
seems 70 have Enthusiastically the majority OF
the people of the Rechslande behind it, for
the legislative chamber Of the provinces dlu
adopt. by vote of 30 against J., the atore-
mentioned motion introduced by the Liberals In
TINT body At the same time the resolution also
in favor Of the general elective
franchise for all local elections hereafter held
II, the Reichslande, against the miserable
"three-class" electoral system in vogue in Prus-
STA and In one or two other OF the German
States. The Liberal party. LOO mas VI lde0
years grown the strongest in Aisace-Lorraine
quite in keeping with the fact that under the
French regime the Alsatians were always to be
found or the liberal side in politics, even under
Napoleon III They have lately affiliated with
the Liberal party Of Germany as whole. and
Liberal leaders have gone from Berlin and else
where during the recent local elections held in
Alsace-Lorraine to aid in campaign work.
Il will he a most Interesting matter to watch
further developments in the Reichslande. At
present of course, the political situation there
is well defined but IT is not at all improbable
that before long forces will be strenuously try
ing to undo the work above described. One OF
these is the Socialist party, which is strong IN
certain parts Of Alsace. notably its Industrial
centres of Strasburg, Colmar and Mthausen
The Socialists, in fact. have regularly elected
two or more members from there into the
Rechstag Herr Bebel twice elected from
Strasburg
THE BLACK DIAMONDS OF BRAZIL