Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21
THE ALSACE-L LORRAINE QUESTION

Herr Delbruck is to be congratulated
for his frankness Of speech for what.
with the story of Herr Won Koeller. he
has really pleaded the cause of Alsace-
Lorraine himself. Unfortunately for
bruck concluded by quoting what Bis
marck had already said In the reichstag
in 1871. namely: "Alsace has been taken.
not for the purpose OF augmenting our
territory and our population. but as a
to protect the empire"
-.
In treating this question of Alsace-Lor-
raine in The Star. whenever it has risen
as current topic, l
have concluded that the
c,...a naturalization Of the
So66eSsou' country was the only
solution OF the question. Messrs. Moch
and Heimweth have recently published
books on the subject and both arrive at
the same conclusion. naturalization.
M. Moch is an officer of artillery in the
French army who believes that rap
prochement between France and Germany
Is possible and that the way leads to y
proper comprehension of the Alsace-Lor-
raine question.
NJ. Moch first breaks a lance with Herr
Franz Wirth. who is president OF the
peace society of Frankfort. Second, the
mission which devolves upon peace So
cieties.
NJ Moch sets up Herr wirth as a tar
get by resuming the latter's argument.
According to Wirth:
1st. There Is no question or Alsace-Lor-
raine, the treaty of Frankfort having
Lsed forever the fate of these provinces.
I'd. The status quo must be maintained
in the interest of peace.
I'd. Germany's historic rights.
4th. .Asatians are German by language.
9th. Annexation was the proper punish
ment for Frances crime Of attacking
Germany.
9Th. Annexation q complement of the
indemnity of war.
eth. Annexation a strategic guarantee
against aggression by France.
NJ. Moch meets these points In sub
stance thus: There is a question OF AL
sace-Lorraine. The treaty of Frankfort
cannot be accepted as final. Poles as
Well as Alsatans are absolutely refrac-
tory to Germanization. The treaty by
which they are annexed was signed with.
out their assent, and the treaty for them
is res inter alias acta" and invalid.
Besides. IL valid, it has been violated in
the matter of passports; the status quo
cannot be maintained indefinitely: Ger
many's historic rights are fictitious as
confessed by Herr Delbruck. Herr With
is reminded that in the eighteenth Gen.
fury Germany did not exist being a col
lection Of 300 country squires as the gov
erning class.
=.
The sentiment of nationality was un-
born, and when the treaty of westphalia
pushed the eastern
Nationality limits of France TO
r the Rhine no German
OAueVcloPeu. was astonished at th.
annexation of Alsace The neighbors OF
the King of France recalled that Alsace
before being German was Gallo Roman.
Besides, continues NJ. Moch. Michelet
wrote: "Alsace two centuries ago gave
herself to France voluntarily. 1t was not
a rape. but marriage. than which none
was more faithful" Language was not
sign of nationality; the Swiss are pre-
eminently patriotic, and yet are French.
Italian and German. Does 1t matter.
then. that Alsatians may declare their
aversion to Germany in German or
French dialect? II France attacked Prue-
sia in 1870 it does not follow that an
nexation of Alsace was just retribution.
History will establish the fact that Prus-
STA, since Napoleon. has been possessed
OF the idea for revenge for Jena, and
Prussia has contemplated and worked for
that object for fifty years. Bismarck
cynically confessed that he forged the
famous dispatch from Emo. II annexa-
ton was a complement to the war in
demnity it has cost Germany very dear.
for it entailed the crushing expense of
armed peace in Europe, a regime which
had resulted from the annexation of AL
sace-Lorraine. Finally. the most serious
guarantee against aggression would be
the naturalization of Alsace-Lorraine.
NJ CASTOR Moch would provoke cur
rent of public opinion among neutral
ID til
that policy should not be in CONTRA
diction with morality, but on the con-
trary, the maxims of state should be-
drawn from the single idea Of duty
whatever the physical results" Peo-
pies are ready to accept that principle
and depose their arms. 1t will be
sufficient to indicate to the people the
practical means of finishing with the
accursed system of armed peace.
The peace societies which assembled
in Paris under the presidency OF
Adolphe Franck, Charles
Peace Lemounier and Frederic
Passy were movements
AcducIS. which resulted in the es-
Establishment of the institut on of The
Hague court. And M. Moch concluded
that the measures which would be
adopted at The Hague would tend to
secure the naturalization of Alsace-
Lorraine.
NJ. Jean Heimweh, who is Alsatian by
descent. but writes in Italian denies that
language is a necessary factor In the
questions Of Alsace-Lorraine. He ad-
mits that language is an Indirect cause
of divisions and dissensions, but he
points to the fact that diverse Ian
guages are spoken in Switzerland and
likewise in France-namely, Breton
Flemish, German, Italian. Provencal and
BASQUE This was also true in Canada,
where 100000 French were loyal sub
jects Of England.
To divide the reichsland between
France and Germany according to
language-that is. the French speaking
to the French and the German speak
ing to the German-was simply an alb
surdity There was no difference in the
sentiment Of these German and French
speaking peoples. They were one ana
all violently opposed to Germany!
To divide Alsace-Lorraine under such
circumstances would change nothing In
the actual situation. NJ. Heimweh be-
lieves that the Alsace-Lorrafne ques-
ton may be solved Practically and by
naturalization. He cites in conclusion
the words of Marshal Canrobert on the
subject of war: Il have made war all
my life: believe me, war Is an ugly
thing"
France has much to propose to Ger