The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-19
Editorial Section.
"A Key to the Worlds Peace.

I1A1 guarantee Is LneFe IOr Inc cOAtlluou
much? It is evident that purely altruistic consid-
eratons do not keep nations from flying at each
others throats Altruism did not stop Great Britain
from the lust Of conquest in South Africa and it
will not hold any nation where sef-interest die
tates another policy.
The first object Of nations being to add to their
security and power, the first and greatest guar
antee Of international peace is to satisfy the as
pirations of every nation for expansion. Looking
the map Of the world it is noticeable that all
Of the great trading nations of Europe have pro-
vided for their future in this way-al save one.
Germany is as yet unprovded with efficient outposts
for her people, Cher present colonial estate Of
a million square miles being practically unfit for
white settlement says Robert Stern writing in the
Peace ADVOCATE. j. g Germany will continue to pour
her surplus population into foreign lands constant
ly weakening the mother country, constantly rein
forcing her competitors. The result must be her
gradual descent to the rank Of a minor power"
Where, when and how is Germany to get colo
nesq To answer these questions in order there are
only two three regions left for coonization Me-
sopotamia and Mongolia and East Turkestan. The
rest of the known globe has been spoken Tor. Great
Britain, Russia, France and Japan have part-
toned Asia outside of the region mentioned above.
Great Britain, France and several minor powers
have all the habitabe portions of Africa. America
N~o>~~oO
trine. The islands insignificant. Germany might
get Mesopotamia provided she could get it now.
Five years from it may be too Late a- =.
How can she get Mesopotamia? Only by coming
to an understanding with France, since Russia
backed up by France and with the good will Of Great
Britain can and will prevent Germany from moving
into Asia by way of the Levant and taking the rich
region which is now practically free from Turkish
rule.
How shall Germany make terms with F,ranceY
The only way is to to understanding about
Lorraine This strip of territory taken from
France in the war Of 1870<i is still the. key to- the
world IS peace. France will never disarm relax
her vigilance while there is ghost of chance that
this territory part of it may be reclaimed either
by diplomacy arms.
remarkable fact about the ':ifting'' Of Al
SAGE and Lorraine is that Bismarck originally in
tended that the division Of the territory should be
along the language boundary. He did not intend
to humiliate France by taking territory where the
French language prevailed But it happened that the
#great fortress Of Metz stood in the midst OF French
Lorraine and at the last moment Bismarck yielding
to the representations Of Moltke that Metz was
worth an army of 100000, regretfully decreed the
annexation of Metz and the surrounding territory,
purely French ;~~- s.-' ~ "E.*
The fact that Germany has this country which
she ORIGINALLY believed she had claim upon makes
it is believed, good trading stock An alliance be-
tween Germany and France might be made today
by which France would receive back French Lor
raine and Germany would get colonies and the peace
w Of the world would be guaranteed Tor generations %
to come. ~~~~~"- ,-'~ ~'~ ~'~~~~~~~~-~'