The Washington herald., 1914-12-27
Fre11chn1a11, Whose ''MyViDaqe"
Caused Sentence to I1rprjson-
n1e11t in Alsace-Lorrnne for
High Treason, Escapes, and
Publishes More Bitter Volume
of Sarcasm and Carjcature.

to US. Oh, how little were we Interested
IN all those Electors of BrandenburS,
in Otto the Lazy and Albert the Bear.
whose slightest gesture we had to kneyi
How gloomy and sad is the story of their
empire where there was never a place
for u.s.
But in spite Of all we waited fmpa-
uently for the time when we should
reach the wars of the Revolution and the
Empire, because then, certainly. the
teacher would be obliged despite himself
10 render justice to the sons of France
and Alsace. Alas! that moment never
came; as if by accident the epoch in his
tory which interested US most coincided
always with our vacations And when
We returned. if it happened that we we're
finished with the MargraVes of Branden-
burg, 1t was the terrible year which took
their place on our program of studies.
With what cruel joy, with what mali
clous laughter would the dullard who
thought he was Germanizing us pour
forth his sneering jokesl At each les
son we we're forced to hear repeated
amid the rude laughter Of the little Ger
man pupils, that the French we're liars
and towards, that they always ran like
hares, that the people OF the lords of
creation had made them bite the dust
and bend the knee. Little French chill
dren, lucky enough to learn history from
one OF their own nation, know nothing OF
the suffering which one undergoes wien
obliged to lfsta-: - such things without
being able to reply.
Alas, l was too small to replv and
now | am too big to box old men on the
ear! But l vowed to be revenged later
on by writing the book which every one
OF us wished to have, the history Of Al
SAGE for little children. | have told that
history here as best ] could, lust as n
happened, and you will see that il is
slightly different from and probably less
boreSome than history seen through
gold-rimmed German spectacles.
Il hope that my book will arouse in
you the wish to learn more of our mast
The more you know of it the better Won
will understand why our new fellow
countrymen fear the persistence and
growth among us OF our devotion to the
past. They know that it is there that
we find both examples of pride and
courage and the fortitude to hope for
better things in the future.
"As to little French children, | feel
that they will be pleased to learn the
history of a land that was French for so
long, Just as one likes to know the his
tory of a friend. And IL my book gives
to Alsace and the Alsatians a few more
friends shall be amply rewarded"
After relieving his mind in this man.
ner Hansi proceeds with his history.
He goes back to the remotest times. He
tells how the oldest Inhabitants cleared
away the forests and titled the fertile
soil bordering on the Rhine. They led
a rude and dangerous life Their women
were beautiful and loved to deck them
selves in bright colored clothes and fine
jewels. .- .---,- -
But the Germans on the other side
OF the river, asserts Hansf, led another
sort OF a life. Their hair was never
combed and they had great matted
boards. The only way in which they
were better than their present day
descendants was they didn't wear
glasses, says Hansi
Then he proceeds to tell how the
savage Germans used to stand on the
other side Of the great stream OF the
Rhine and look with longing eyes at