Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-26


slant. senator Of France. in the latest
number OF La Revue. under the title of
lie Remede Ia Paix Armee." The SUBJ
1ect Is all the more interesting that Baron
d. Estournelles is now in America. where
he is engaged in a propaganda of peace
through a series OF popular lectures
THE remedy for the armed peace in
Europe" writes the eminent senator 1.-THE
Emperor OF Germany has found it al
ready; it is only necessary to apply IL =;
1t Is European union as a substitute for
European anarchy: 1t is European union
sealed by Franco-German reconciliation -
The question of sace-Lorraine-Baro
d Estournelles recognizes the fac;-is ting
barrier to the reconciliation of the two
countries and the principal cause Of the
armed peace Of Europe. The question IN
actually the most absorbing subject in
political circles. The latest phase was
after discussion in the reichstag a par
commission was constituted
to consider the demands Of Alsace-Lor-
raine, which were that she should no
longer be treated as ''reichland." or inn
perial land, but that she should be given
place in the federal council. with three
votes. and that the statthalter should
De dppOluleQ IOr lie.
81
The answer Of government to these
demands, up to February Is, when the
proceedings Of the reichs-
Reply OF the tag were suspended. was
n.~...-4 that "Alsace Lorraine
0'~A'' was property Of the en-
pire-that is. the common property Of all
the other states" The federal council
would give Alsace-Lorraine a statthalter,
but he would be appointed and revoked.
If necessary, by the emperor. This was
the maximum concession.
But the unexpected happened. There
was developed in the rechstag certain
elements favorable to the demands Of
the conquered provinces. The representa-
tives of the center and national liberals
espoused the cause Of Alsace-Lorraine
and obtained considerable majority in
their favor. Not only should they be CIV
en- place in the bundesrafh. or federal
council, and the statthalter, while he
should be appointed by the emperor, it
should be on the proposition of the fed
eral council, but he could only be revoked
on the consent OF the emperor. The gov
eminent was plainly COMPOUNDED by the
turn Of affairs and asked time for reflec-
ton and reference again to the federal
council.
M. Francis Charmes, in the Revue des
Deux Mondes, in his political review
declares that the probabilities favored the
because the Catholics
in the council needed their support. and
likewise the government itself since the
fall Of Prince Won Buelow. A sincere de-
sire for pacification had been evinced in
the speech Of Herr Won Bethmann-Ho.l-
veg and that Of Herr Delbruck.
The correspondents Of the London
ivVe0 Vfc.,~ ri $oH
from Berlin to their respective journals
that the reicnstag committee whose pro-
ccedings had been suspended February
16 to permit the federal council to re-
consider the Alsace-Lorraine subject re-
ported that the council had adopted an
ingenious compromise. 1t was hoped,
wrote the correspondents. that this COM
promise would satisfy not only the reich
stag and Alsace-Lorraine, but also the
conflicting interests OF Prussia and the
south German states.
4 X
Now the ingenious compromise. briefly
stated, is this: The federal council will
not agree to the ap-
Summary of the pointment of a
o- statthalter for life nor
-PA"AS0' alter the status Of
the emperor with reference to the staff
halter. The federal council decided
to give AIsace-Lorraine place in the coun-
Gil with three votes conditionally. 1t
to increase the number Of votes
In the council from fifty-eisht to sixty
one, and as rule to take divisions as at
present. 1t provided, however, that Al
sace-Lorraine should not be permitted to
vote on motions for amendment to the
The votes of Alsace-Lor-
raine and Prussia could not be counted
together if OH division it was found that
the votes of the former gave Prussia a
majority which she would net otherwise
nave had.
The representatives. of Alsace-Lorraine
in the federal council would be nominal
ed and Instructed" by the statthaiter
On the motion of the Prussian represent
Rtives these proposals were adopted unan-
imously by the federal council.
The provision to the effect that Prussia
should not benefit by the Alsace-Lorraine
vote to change a minority into a majority
is really Of little practical Importance,
since proposals which are carried by very
small majorities are almost invariably
in order to prevent friction
among the states. The value of the votes
lies in the extent to which the statthalter,
named by the King OF Prussia
and removable at pleasure, may be guild
ed by his instructions in the matter OF
the three votes in the council having re-
gard to the interest of Aisace-L Lorraine.
It is added that In the event Of an
conflict between Prussia and
Aisace Lorraine the statthalter would in
struct the three votes In the sense of the
wishes of Alsace-Lorraine. 1t will be Al
corporated in the imperial constitution to
be amended that the grant OF votes to
Alsace- Lorraine Will be held to be good
only so long as 1.-THE position of the en-
peror and his statthalter remains unai-
tered.'
a dispatch to lie Temps announces
that since the aforementioned action by
the federal council. NJ. Foret, Lorraine
lawyer. was elected mayor of Metz a
fact which had caused much acrimonious
in the pan-Germanist press.
rhe Afeinische WestphaeIische Zeitung,
n violent article. accuses the Count
fon Wedel with not being actuated en-
.irely by German national sentiments.
The Hamburger Nachrichten writes:
What must be thought of the case OF
German interests i'm Alsace-Lorraine if
he cord is slackened SO as to leave the
argest liberty to elements entirely anti
And with reference to the AnglO-Ameri-
IAN peace talk, the Anglo-American ar
bltration proposition
Anglo-American 1t is pertinent to
r.. NIL. cite a dispatch from
Feace Talk. Berlin, dated the
9th instant:
German opinion on the Angio-Ameri-
an peace talk has been very scantily en-
,ressed In newspapers. Generally speak