Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-01

iair. winch occurred toward the close OK
1913, is the absorbing topic of discussion
in the press of Europe.
Aisace-L Lorraine, it is recalled. was
granted a constitution in 1912. but the &C.
tual situation tends
Zabern Affair to show that the
and It's Results. T msr.'r t n - on Is
The German government at Berlin
doubtless agrees that its failure to act
promptly in the Zabern affair has had
the result not only of kindling general
discussion in Alsace, but more general
discussion and a spirit of revolt through
out Germany. The hesitation of govern
ment. in truth. encouraged the military to
seize the occasion TO manifest" the
power of traditional ascendency OF the
military over the civil. Then the con-
formations of the military by the civil
by the acquittal of the military by mill
tary courts-martial.
1t is highly creditable to Germans
throughout the empire that they have
sided with the civil authorities in Alsace-
Lorraine against the usurpation by the
military. The German army has always
demanded and exercised the right of way
new spirit has arisen. The civilian. who
formerly accepted the right of the mill
tary to strike him or throw him from the
sidewalk if need be, now strikes back and
refuses to abandon the pavement to the
military bully.
The affair at Zabern, in which a young
officer insulted a soldier and through him
the people, saying. IF You are insulted
and yet should pierce the skin of one OF
these Alsatian 'wackes' ] will give you ~
marks was the beginning Of trouble
which has grown to vast proportions
these last two months.
The country for a fact has been cut in
two. the military on one side, civilian on
the other. There was at first civil trial.
where civilian and military swore to tell
the whole truth. and the military was
found guilty. Then there was a court
martial, where military and civilian swore
to tell the truth, and the civilian was
found guilty. A question, doubtless, of
the point of view!
In the interval the project of police de-
livered a fierce denunciation against the
first Judgment and declared that a SOL
der under arms had the right to commit
any act, because he represented the
power of the sovereign. He added that the
population of Alsace-Lorraine was near
ly enemy" The kronprinE wrote to the
officers, when summoned before the tri-
bunal, to approve encourage and sustain
them. An accused colonel declared that
he had no confidence in the civil power.
Thus there are two blocs which have
been raised up, irreducible and hostile.
The army has become more and more a
state in state, state that dominates
the other, to make the law or unmake it,
to brutaliZe it and place 1t under Its
feet.
Now the party of the sword has tri-
umphed along the entire line. The staff
hotter and his minister have resigned and
the regime that was will give place to an
other.
I;
1t is a question as to what is to follow
and it is difficult IL not impossible, to
forecast what is in store
The Future for the unhappy people of
gu Alsa e-Lorraine- T h G
No' oieoA' Berliner Tageblatt re-
marks that IF the resignation Of Count
Won Wedel is not accepted for five or six
months the retirement of Herr Won Beth
-Hollweg may take place: the par
lamentary work will be accomplished
and the emperor will then have returned
from Norway
This reference to Herr Won Bethmann-
Hollweg is significant. 1t has been fire.
quently affirmed that one Of the secret
desires of Herr Won Bethmann was to END
his political career in Alsace-Lorraine as
stattholter.
Count de Roerdern. superior councillor
of the government at Potsdam, has been
named secretary of state in place Of Herr
Zore Won Bulach. Count Siegfrted de
Roerdein besides his. functions of secre-
tary of state. will take the portfolio OF
the interior. He is an entire stranger to
Alsaee-Lorraine and has never been In
the country. Baron Won Stein has been
chosen chief of agriculture and public
works.
The Berliner Tageblatt affirms that it is
the intention of the government to re-
place Alsatian particularism by Prussian
particularism.
The Count Won Wedel declared, in De-
cember last. that he would not remain =
single day at his post if the rights OF
civil mower were not recognized in Alsace-
Lorraine, But the chancellor having de-
clared. January 23 in the reichstag that
it was necessary to introduce new sEs-
TEN in the land of the empire. tne
stattholter sent his resignation ana that
of his ministers to Berlin. ms was per
haus the only energetic Jest that Count
Won Wedel accomplished during his long
career. But that was the impulse OF the
moment for a few days later he MADE
haste to signify his WILLINGNESS TO re-
main at his post at Strasbours at inc
pleasure of the emperor.
The regime Wedel. known as the
'.Wedel- Eulach regime has lasted nearly
seven wears. and was perhaps the worst
of the regimes which Alsace- Larraine
has endured since the annexation Not
wjthstanding the grant Of a new constl-
tuition, the introduction of some laws ac-
cordinE the right of association, which
loosenS in a manner the manacles the
country was never so insecure as under
the regime of "Wedel-Bulach.
When Count Won Wedcl succeeded
Prince hSulohc-LanSenburg. OCTOBER
1907 Lorraine was. completely
TRANQUIL Herr Won kocller was then
secretary of state, being we'll liked at the
court at Berlin, and also IN conservative
circles This Prussian functionary. whose
age rendered him skeptical, would not
have histories" His reports to the
chancellor were optimistic. and he gov
erned without the conservative journals
finding anything to criticise. The former
friends of Herr Won koeller are now dam
gerous nationalists.
Everything changed when Herr Won
Koeller retired and his place was taken
by an AIsatian secre-
Marked Change tary of state. Scarce
of Policy. nos, aa1 o. ae au' =. ,oos ss