Evening star., 1915-05-16

DucheSSe Marie Adelaide made a spirit
ed protest The account. given at
the time. was that she sent her cabinet
minister with copy of the Berlin
treaty TO protest to the officer in COM
mand OF the German troops. who were
about to cross the bridge leading into
LuXemburS. When this protest ig-
nored she rode in her automobile to
the bridge and herself demanded that
the neutrality of the duchy be
spected
LuXemburg's neutrality has been re-
spected by Germany to the extent that
the duchy has not been treated
conquered province. 1t has simply
been administered under German mill
tary control. Its neutrality like that
Of Belgium. was guaranteed by the
great powers. AS buffer state it has
not. however. been success since Ger
many occupied it in the very first days
of the war. The sembIance of inde
pendent authority, however has been
maintained.
Last December the minister OF for
eign affairs was said to be seeking to
interest the few neutral countries of
Europe in mediation between the bel
ligerents. 1t was reported that he made
no encouragement from the Dutch gov
ernment. Then it was said that he
invited the Swiss Federal Council to
offer to mediate between France and
Germany with a view to opening peace
negotiations.
The argument advanced by the min
lister was that. neither side actually
having any advantage. it was a good
time to talk of peace Later on, he
declared. when the scale of war turned
TO one side or the other IL would be
too late to suggest negotiations to the
nations intoxicated by what might be
considered certainty of early triumph
Few Americans know Luxemburg, be-
cause it is off the main line of tourist
travel from Paris. though it Is easily
reached from Brussels. Some Ameri-
cans. nevertheless. find their way there
to enjoy the flavor of the middle ages
with which the city and its ancient hill
fortress are still invested.
The leading hotel recites with pride
that the daughter of President Of the
United States was guest Of Luxem-
burg on her wedding trip. This was
not many years ago.
The people of Luxemburg. have the
most kindly feeling for the United
States. Their hospitality to Americans
is unbounded. Many Of them have
emigrated to this country and have
prospered There are said to be 10O.-
900 Luxemburgers in the United
States. Some are in the northern pen
insula of Michigan. where they have
been successful mine workers: others
are in Illinois. and a considerable num-
ber are on the Pacific coast
A Luxemburger who spent many
years in the United States and had
prospered returned to his native city
and put up business structure which
he called the American building.
The American minister to the Meth
erlands is also our diplomatic rep
resentative to Luxemburg and the con
sular agent in Luxembourg is under the
consul at Rotterdam. This diplomatic
relation grows out of the former union
between the Netherlands and Luxem-
burg.
There is some trade between the
United States and the duchy. A large
part of the products of the glove mills
is taken by the United States, and
occasionally some of the iron and steel
products are marketed here. I was in
Luxembourg once when, on account of
the local pig iron depression, one plant