Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-12
ALSACE-L LORRAINE In REICHSTAG

Alsace-Lorraine is FESTIVE over her sit
uation as a conquered province. as
're:chsland,'' or imperial
Provinces land. Alsace Lorra n q
MI: dreams Of freedom, indie
Aes~'S' pendence. autonomy: but,
failing in that, she would have some
share in home rule. even II limited.
Bismarck. with the instinct Of the
statesman. foresaw the difficulties which
would be engendered by time. and hest
tated. In 1871. at the taking OF territory
which he know would establish an inn
passable gulf between the victor and the
vanquished. Won Moltke. the soldier. saw
only the victory achieved, and his opin-
ion prevailed. Forty years since the
treaty Of Frankfort and the present trou-
bles In Alsace-Lorraine attest Bismarck
prescience.
Recent cables report troubles in I.or-
raine. where. 1t was assumed. the spirit
Of resistance to German rule had been
more completely dominated than i'm AL
SAGE. The outbreak at Metz is proof that
Lorraine has neither forgotten nor for
Yiven-not more than Alsace-her en-
forced separation from France.
The immediate cause of the trouble is
attributed to the Lorraine Sportive. a
branch society Of the Souvenir Francois.
which attempted to give a concert at the
Hotel Terminus. In Metz, in disregard of
q police ordinance. When a police in
spector warned the 800 or more mem
bers of the club of the illegality of their
meeting he was jeered and hooted. and
when the police dispersed the crowd il
the music of '.Sambre ct Meuse." the
"Marseillaise" and cries of "Vive la Lor-
ratne!' TO the Ney monument. where IL
spent its fury against the German gov
eminent by shouts of '.Vive la Francer'
The German press treats the subject
with severity. The Gazette de Cologne
writes that the incidents at Metz will
Oblige the German government to put a
bit upon the spirit OF Cancellation 1t was
disposed to show toward Alsatians-Lor-
rains on the question of the proposed
constitution.
The Alsatian press maintains an atti-
| tude OF good humor and irony In its re-
marks upon the criticisms
Offensive OF the German journals.
Dat r..a The Nouvelliste d'Alsace-
>SSS SoA~' Lorraine publishes an
amusing thrust in parrying certain at
| tacks against the journalist caricaturist.
Zislin, also director of the Ours Elsass.
| who has been condemned to imprison-
ment and fined for the publication Of a
postal card deemed offensive to Germany
Zislin employed his time in prison in
| creating his postal. which he published
| when released, with enormous pecuniary
| as well as political benefit. The postal
card was in blue, white and red, with
| Zislin's portrait. supported by two Al
| satan women in national costume. and
! beneath, in bright red letters, Souvenir
of My Condemnation" Above was a
| pale violet landscape. crowned by brigh,
blue sky. The authorities declared it Sc.
| ditiOus. Zislin, who had already made
| good his escape. had become hero.
The Nouvelliste wrote Of the Zislin
| affair thus:
There has been arrested at Mulhouse
| and blue eyes. She will be sent to the
'correctionnelie' for having melted pass.
ers-by to revolt. and thus endangered the
| public peace The police, indeed. stated
that the passers-by turned in order to
have a good look at the girl
The Nouvelliste would have the govern.
| ment understand that they have made
sedition out OF q very small matter. The
national costume and the blue sky repre-.
sent autonomy and the hope of its reali-
cation.
The responsibility for the affair Of the
Lorraine Sportive" was attributed to
NJ. Samain, the director Of the society.
He was arrested and imprisoned and the
sees In that act illegality. According
to the law no society can be dissolved
except that It's object can be shown to be
illegal. 1t was impossible to show this
in the case Of the Lorraine Sportive."
| The Neuste Nachrichten de Berlin, on
the other hand, expresses the opinion
that the government should exercise all
| Its energy against every provocation
against Germany in Alsace-Lorraine.
The Germania OF Berlin and the Neue
zeitung Of Strassburg declare that the
employment Of rigorous
Mistaken means I'm the present sit
Policy. ,a,sa IS an an arror ea' tu.
81 irit OF resistance. The Neue Zeitung
remarks that coercive measures have
not borne the results aimed at since nine
generations. The consequence Of violent
| measures has nearly always been the
augmentation Of the evil complained of.
Alsace-Lorraine, briefly, Is treated still
| as conquered province. The country
is rich In wood, wine. cereals and many
industries. 1t is divided into three de-
partments, Upper and Lower Alsace, and
Lorraine. Alsace was annexed to France
under Louis XIV by the treaty of West
phalia, in 164S. 1t was ceded to Germany.
| except Belfort and its territory, in 1871.
Lorraine was kingdom in S5a 1t was
, divided in 3a3 into Upper and Lower
Lorraine, and the latter fell to the dukes
of Brabant, and the Upper Lorraine later
belonged to Stanislas Iierzinski, and al
his death was united to France in 1856
1t formed subsequently the department
Of the Meurthe, Mouse. Moselle and Vos-
ges. part OF this department was
taken by Germany. including Metz, in
| 1871. That which remains to France &C.
tually forms the department of the