Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-08-20
STRASSBURG IN WAR AND PEACE
Controlled by France for 200
Years.
Remarkable Industrial Growth Under
German Regime-Nfiiitary Strong
hold Since Roman
Period.

The French forces which are reported
to be firmly entrenched In Muelhausen
and other towns of southern Alsace are
said to have designs on the city Of
Strassburg.
It is no wonder. strassburg has been
bone of contention between the French
| and Germans for more than two GEN.
| turies-since 16s1-when It was seized
| from German control by Louis XIV. in
his "Roubkriege" and later officially
awarded to him by the treaty Of Rvs
wick.
It was well-ngh 200 years before the
Germans as a unified nation found the
opportunity to recover the famous old
university town and the province Of AL
SAGE which went with It. That time came
in 1870, when the French, stirred to ac-
tivity by the threatening power of the
German confederacy, struck the blow
that drove great Teuton hosts into arms
and brought down defeat, the loss Of
Alsa eel Lorraine, and a heavy war debt
upon the nations shoulders.
FRANCE LOSES sTRAssBURG.
Germany had begun to look upon
Strassburg as the stronghold which
threatened her empire in the south and
once the French forces had been scat
tered and routed to the north and the
main army had marched on triumphant
~ toward Paris another great force be-
sleged the city and took 1t after six
weeks stubborn resistance by 10000
French troops under General Uhrich.
In that siege the city was the object
H.,
man troops whose fire killed hundreds
of French soldlery, struck down citizens
In the street. ruined dwelling houses and
tore to pieces scores Of famous old build
ings. One Of the structures wrecked by
the heavy fire of the Teutons was the old
citadel erected by Vauban. the French
engineer of Louis XIV.'s era. which at
that time formed the main body of the
defense Of the place.
This loss has ranked in the breasts of
the French for the past 10 years. For
by this time the heavily German popua-
| ton had been partly replaced by an en-
thusiastic body of French citizens, who
! for many years after the cesson Of Al
| sace-Lorraine to Germany did not hest
| tate to show their dislike Of German DOM
| nation. Some historians have declared
| that the people have become pretty we'll
| reconciled to German rule IN the past
| 10 or Is years but reports from abroad,
telling of the support given the French
| by the Alsatians, seem to indicate that
they awaited only an opportunity to
struggle for their return to the French
nation.
CITY OF COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE.
| This is one reason for the eager prog
! ress OF the French troops toward north
| ern Alsace. But there Is another.
Strassburg is a town Of great CONNER
cial importance. Through 1t passes
| large part of the trade between France
Switzerland and Germany, and from It
are exported manufactures Of all sorts
wrought by the hands of the Alsatians
in scores of factories and shops with
| which the city teens.
| Strasshurg lies on the River III. but
two miles from the Rhine, in the middle
OF fertile plain stretching eastward
from the high peaks Of the Vosges noun
| tains, which since 1870 have formed the
! boundary between the French and Ger
man territories. 1t is divided into three
main parts by the arms of the river
| OF these the central portion is the larg-
est and embraces the oldest part Of the
town, in which the narrow crooked
streets and a few old buildings preserve
a trace Of the picture of the old fort In
medieval times Many of these buildings
were destroyed during the bombardment
| of 1870 and new structures have risen in
their places.
Furthermore, in the process of COM
mercial expansion since 1870 there has
been a wide egress to the north the
fortified area has been extended and the
old walls torn down to allow new mod
ern public buildings and scores of homes
to grow up. Here are to be found AL
most as many handsome public build
ings as any German city can show, be-
sides number of historic edifces.
INDUSTRIAL GROWTH OF CITY.
In the flourishing trade OF recent years
many industries have grown up Tan
neries have begun to dot the water front,
A breweries and furniture factories have
1 sprung mp and shops for the manufacture
of jewelry. Among other industries are
the manufacture of steel goods and To-
comotives, of pianos and other musical
instruments. printing and the manufac-
ture OF paper, soap, gloves and tobacco.
| There Is considerable attention to agri-
culture in the fertile country which i'm
mediately surrounds the town, and a sub
stantial trade is carried on IN coal, hons,
produce, wine. hams and sausages Large
numbers OF geese are raised by the peas
ant population for the famous Strassburg
pates de foie gras. the renown of which
has spread to other lands
An inkling of the expansion of the
town In recent years may he gathered
from the knowledge that its population,
which in 1871 was 5000. is now In round
figures about 10000, Even this repre-
scnts a growth of 5000 in "a years.
Commercial and industrial development
has brought with it the canalzng OF the
river which is now connected with the
Marine and with the Rhine by an extern
sive system, Meanwhile an excellent
wharves and quays occupying space Of
about 250 acres at the present time The
city has also become n railroad center.
| 1t is apparent that Strassburg has be-
come commercial prize, a city of far
greater value than II ever was under
French tutelage Its addition to the
French domain would be a great coup for
the nation.
STRATEGIC FORTTFICATIONS.
| Tho stra tap,r io1oortoOCe Of the town