The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-08-21
FRANCE HAS BEEN WAITING
As YEARS FOR THIS CHANCE

For As years the guiding principle
of French craftsmanship, saws the
Kansas City Star, has been embodied
in the maxim that Germany's exter.
nifty would be Frances Opportunity
Has that hour come? Events seem r.
show that France believes it has
The German empire and the French
republic were born together in the
smoke and fame of the terrible battle
OF Sedan. There the French empire
went down with the fortunes of the
last Napoleon, and there the mighty
Bismark laid the steps of the Kali
ser's throne.
The Franco-Prussian war of 1870
was one OF the most swift and terrible
in history: Louis Napoleon, seeking
to steady his unstable throne by keep
ing alive the traditions of the great
military empire of the first Napoleon,
had hurled his challenge at Prussia,
The immediate pretext was the candi-
dacy of a Hjohenzollern prince for the
vacant Spanish throne. Prussia, seek
ing the unihcation of Germany well
coined the contest and struck with a
SuddenneSs that blinded and dazed
the imperial government at Paris.
By rapid and simultaneous move
ments the Prussians crumpled the
two wings of the French army mob-
ilized on the Altsation frontier de-
feating them in the sanguinary battles
OF Weissenberg, Worth and Spichern
Marshal McMahon and Marshal Ba-
zaine, commanding the two French
armies, attempted to form a junction
and retreat to the Moselle, but Prince
Frederick Charles, commanding the
Prussian advance, defeated the exc
cution of the plan and drove Bazaine
back upon Gravelotte, where, on Au-
gust l8, 1879, took place the decisive
battle of that name, the second only
of Importance in the war The Prus-
slams had 100000 men and the French
10000 In nine hours of carnage, in
which the Germans lost 10000 men
and the French 13,000 Bazaine was
utterly routed and forced back upon
Metz, where he was quickly surround
ed and bottled up by the victorious
Prussians.
With Bazaine shut up within his
Notifications and Mcmahon held in
check, four German armies converged
swiftly upon Paris. Napoleon Ill,
who had remained in his capital con-
fdently expecting the news that his
marshals had invested Berlin, hurrid-
ly appointed as regent the Empress
Eugene (the same who now, an aged
woman, is living out her sorrowful
days in English exile), raised fresh
army and set out to relieve Bazaine.
Joining MaMahon, the emperor met
the advancing Prussian hosts at Sc
dan, where, on September 2, only a.
days after the declaration of war; was
fought the Waterloo of the second
French empire. The emperor was
overwhelmingly defeated and person
ally surrendered with his entire army
OF $4,000 men.
Two days after the disaster at Sedan
the republic was proclaimed, and on
September lo the Prussians invested
Paris and the siege began. The his
tory of that seige is separate phase
of the war. To it belong the terrible
scenes of the Commune, the escape of
Gambetta from the capital in balloon
and his attempt to raise relieving
force. and the desperate lombard
ments and sorties of the investing
and beleaguered forces that make one
of the darkest pictures in modern war.
Before Paris capitulated in January,
1871, Bazaine had surrendered Metz
with $4,000 men, Strassburg fell and
the scattered French armies were ev-
erywhere overwhelmed or driven to
flight
Already, 10 days before Paris sur
rendered, the German empire had
been proclaimed at Versailles and
William was crowned emperor in
the halls of the Bourbons. A month
later, with German troops camped in
the boulevards of Paris, France elect
ed the first president of the present
republic. 1t was this new govern
ment that accepted the terms of
peace which have ever since kept the
fires of revenge burning in the hearts
of Frenchmen. The German speaking
part of the province of Lorraine was
given up with the cities of Metz and
Thionville; Alsace was surrendered
with the city of Strassburg-that city
whose statue in Paris has ever since
been draped in mourning. And finally
France paid to her conquerors hive
milliards of francs. one billion dol
lars, and consented that German
troops should remain on her soil un-
til it was paid.
Such was the last struggle between
France and Germany, and such were
its results. France swallowed the bit
ter dose and bided her time. Has that
time come?