New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-07
Alsace-Lorraine and Peace.


Albert Thomas, Under-Secrctary of War
in the French Ministry, and best known
as the man who has organized French
munitions manufacture There will be no
definitely reestablished as part of French
unity"
Here is a clear, definite, tangible fact TO
be faced by all those who would talk about
peace at the present time. Conceivably
Germany would now agree to evacuate
Belgium, France and Serbia. She might
even waive her project for an autonomous
Poland. A Washington dispatch to The
Tribune yesterday suggested that Ger
many might consent to retrocede to France
the French speaking districts Of Lorraine
that is, Metz and the adjacent districts
but does any one suppose Germany at
the present hour would give up Strass-
burg?
II France insists upon regaining her
Lost Provinces" Britain must and will
stand with her. Russia has not the small
est temptation to sign peace which would
cost her Poland or even the surrender Of
her Balkan ambitions. Italy will not pause
until she has Trieste. She has just given
full proof of her purpose by signing
treaty TO make no separate peace.
The merits of the Franco-German dis
pute over Alsace-Lorraine are beside the
question now. 1t Is fact, disclosed by
German official statements at the time Of
the Zabern incident, that Alsace-Lorraine
has never accepted German rule or given
her allegiance to the conqueror. In taking
Alsace- Lorraine Germany enforced land
title which at best was weakened by more
than two centuries Of lapse. She acted
with total disregard Of the wish Of the
people of Alsace-Lorraine, who were pas
sionately devoted TO France.
The German theory that time would
alter the feeling Of the Alsatians and
that a population mainly Germanic in
speech would return to the Teutonic fam
ily In due course Of time has not worked
out. The failure is chiefly attributable to
the inability Of the Prussian to rule by
other than Prussian methods.
But If the mass of the population re-
mains Francophile In It's affection, there Is
considerable portion which is wholly
German In It's sympathy. This is supplied
by some 100000 German immigrants, who
have brought to the provinces the German
idea and ideal. They are the fnnctiona-
ries, the high and low officials, the school
teachers and the state employees. They
have replaced some 100000 Alsatians and
Lorrainers who have migrated to France
since 1871.
The position Of Alsace-Lorraine, even if
it returns to France, will not be simple,
and France, in her turn, will confront
considerable disloyal element. But it has
been plain from the outset Of the war that
French opinion was a unit on the subject
Of the "Lost Provinces" and peace which
did not undo the work Of the Treaty of
Frankfort would be for the French peace
utterly unsatisfactory.
Beyond all else the annexation Of Alsace-
|
lation Of the modern notions Of human
liberty. More than 100000 people were
annexed by Germany in 1871 without the
smallest regard to their own wishes, in
! the face Of their unanimous protest and
} opposition.
Here was revealed in its entirety the
German notion that every wish Of peo-
: pie or race is Of no value when weighed
= against German necessity and the leu
: tonic aspiration for "place in the sum-"
; What Germany did in Alsace-Lorraine she
J., planned to do in Belgium, in Northern
e France, in the Balkans.
: The question Of Alsace-Lorraine is not
Z merely local question: II is a question Of
r principle, which involves the whole Ger
: man idea. If the Germans are compelled
n to give up the lands conquered not only
4 in 1914 but In 1870; II the right of men
! and races to choose their own nation is
t reestablished and fortified, that will be "a
/, real step toward permanent peace. Alsace-
r Lorraine is for the whole world sign and
? symbol Of the German idea and the Ger
man theory, and so long as Germany re-
{ tains these provinces the gospel of nigh,
D will obtain.
Looking backward after forty-four
years It is easy to see how fetal to Ger
many the annexation Of these provinces
= has proved. If Bismarck had treated
!, France In 1871 as he treated Austria in
j, 1866 the Franco-Prussian War would have
left no permanent scar, as the Napo-
lleonic wars left no French resentment
;, Then Germany would have been free to
deal with her two great natural rivals
Russia and Great Britain.
By taking the French provinces she per
petuated French hostility. When she
allied herself with Austria she "took on"