Imperial Valley press., 1914-08-28
ALSACE-LORRAINE is
BUFFER STATE OF EUROPE

History is but repeating itself once
mora in the big conflict where the
French and Germans are battling in
Alsace and Lorraine, buffer state and
prize Of war for more than a thou
sand years. Almost times without
number, since the year 843 AID, the
peopia of what is now Germany and
France have fought for the possession
of Alsace and Lorraine, that territory
changing from one flag to another
with astonishing frequency.
The history of France and Germany,
as separate nations, begins in 843, one
thousand and seventy-two years ago,
and tie history of the woes and trib-
ulatiors of Alsace and Lorraine as
the bone Of contention between the
two ard as conquered first by the one
and then By the other, began soon
after that same year, 843.
The present campaign that France
is waGing against the Germans in AL
SAGE IS therefore only the continual
tion Of a struggle over one thousand
years old. The facts of geographical
position have created the problem. It
is a problem which will remain un-
solved and unsolvable as long as the
Rhine flows and the Vosges mountains
stand. France says that the Rhine is
her true eastern frontier, Germany
says that the frontier lies beside the
mountains.
1t was in 843 that the three grand
sons Of Charlemagne, fighting among
themselves, decided to end the con-
troversy by dividing their grand
father possessions among themselves.
They acted on the ancient principle
that The lands and the people dwell
ing upon them, tilling the soil in peace
and fighting the battles in war, were
the private property of the sovereign
ruling by the "divine right of kings
Charlemagne had ruled the whole Of
Europe as one united government
with the exception alone Of the private
possessions of the pope of Italy. His
capital was at Aachen, the AK la
Chapelle of modern times, which is
Tow q possession of Prussia.
Charlenagne's son, Louis le Debon-
air, was too weak to hold together
such heterogeneous empire Of peoples
Of different race and temperament, and
speaking different tongues, their only
bond being an official religion, that OF
their sovereign, and common gov
ornment. He was too weak even TO
rule his own family and long before
his death, his three sons were quar-
reling over their prospective inherit
ance. The one who was the strongest,
called Louis, the German, had the first
choice in the division, and he took
northern Europe and became king OF
the Germans. The second brother
Charles the Bold, took southwestern
Europe and became king of the
Franks. In the main the descendants
of the people of these two Kingdoms
are the Germans and French of today.
These two brothers took land which
formed a compact whole and which
could easily be defended. The people
Of Louis ali spoke one language and
the people of Charles, now the French,
all spoke another.
The third brother, Lothair, the
weakest, had to take what was left
OF his fathers empire That included
what is now Holland, Belgium, Luxem-
burg, Alsace, Lorraine and a strip of
Northern Italy. 1t was peopled by
many different nationalities. 1t could
not be easily defended because the
Alps broke it into two parts, and the
narrow strip along the Rhine, from
the APPS to the North sea, which kept
the possession of Louis from touching
those of Charles, was too great prize
rot 20 be coveted by both the stronger
brothers and they soon began to fight
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