Norwich bulletin., 1915-03-31
THE. WAR PRIMER By National Geographic Society

AixIa chapelle-Among all the places on the map of Europe that have been made scenes of feverish ac- | tivity, none surpass Aix-la- -Chapelle -Aachen the Germans call it. Here 1 endless supply trains start out over | the fan-like system of railroads to l the front, and from the front con verge the trains bearing their vast loads of wounded, converting the Ak region into a great hospital camp. With the return of spring a more | fitting and more charming place could not be chosen for the convalescence of the sufferers from the trench and ern France. AiX-la-Chapelle is set into the hills, surrounded with l superbly green-notched skyline, and sheltered by terraced forests, broken, here and there, in pleasing variety.
 Aix-la-Chapelle is a place of scenic beauty a home of modern industry, a city of churches and of relics. More over, it is a health resort, and has l ease worried high-life of Rome. There are no better known or more oppres- 1 Sive curative springs in Europe than the hot sulphur springs of Aix-la- | Chapelle. Perchance Charlemange en- dured the healing offices of it's waters through his strenuous, bloody exer- tions toward the conversion of the heathens.
 Since the establishment of the Elm pire, Aachen has. sought to forget and obliterate its advanced age by the adoption of a sleek modern dress, and it's large business of cloth, silk and metal manufacture has won it prom inent place in the scramble of modern cities for industrial and commercial renown. Yet Charlemagne was crowned here, and here is his tomb Further, the modest cathedral near the center of the town has been the scene of the crowning of thirty-fve emperors and of eleven queens. These
 facts must ever thrwart Aix-la- Chapelle's efforts towards becoming
 thoroughly modern city"
 NapoIeonic Wars continuaI-"while the spring campaign in Europes great war is opening up", says a statement
 issued by the National Geographic Society today, land the question is pending as to whether or not the coming summer will end hcstilities as those of Napoleonic wars were ended
 in the year of which this is the cen
 tennial. it is interesting to go back a : hundred years for glimpse of the process by which the map of the con-
 tinent was re-made at that time.
 "In March, 1874, Great Britain, Aus
 tria, Russia and Prussia entered into
 a treaty binding them to stand to- gether until peace was concluded. A France, with Napoleon beaten, entered
 into a secret agreement with these
 powers giving them the disposition of
 all countries which the Little Cor
 poraPs fall had liberated from French control.
 ''The Allies decided to hold A con-
 gress at Vienna for the distribution of
 the spells of war. As soon as they met there Great. Britain, Austria, Rus sia, and Prussia decided that they
 would first settle all controversies
 themselves, and then call in France
 and Spain to ratify what they had done. France was represented by , France would never give its assent to
 such 8 course of procedure. Sweden and Portugal were finally added as members of the congress, and it was not long until bones of contention were thrown into the arena of debate
 upon which the four Allies could reach
 no agreement among themselves. One of these was the question of the dis
 position of Saxony and Poland. Rus whole of Poland as the price of its
 contribution to the war. England
 through its leading representative, 7 Lord Castlereagh, firmly opposed the pretensions of Alexander.
 , "The diplomatic war continued for
 a number of months with England
 standing by France, her late enemy,
 against Russia, her recent ally. Fin ally, with Russia showing no signs of yielding, France, Austria and Great
 of defense, the purpose of which was
 to force Russia to terms. The Allies
 probably would thus have fought among themselves at that time, just as : the Allies did after the Balkan wal a few years ago. had not Napoleon re- appeared on the scene of action as
 their common enemy again
 'The outcome of the bickerings in1 . the congress resulted in Austria and 9 Prussia retaining most of their Po- f fish dominions, with the remainder : going to Russia under an agreement that 1t should be separate kingdom
 ruled by the Czar of Russia, accord
 ing to its own constitution. Switzer- [ land was given a constitution; Italy 3 retained Lombardy and Venetia; and 7 Holland kept Belgian, Luxemburg and . Limburg. Sweden, losing Finland to
 Russia, secured Norway as compensa-
 tion.
 - slave trade of Europe should be abol- 5 ished, which resulted in declara tior l of abolition, leaving each country fret 3 to fix its own date of abolition.
 Ut was the purpose of the English
 representatives to secure solemn r guarantee from the members of the
 congress to make collective war or any nation that might undertake tt disturb the agreement of partition This plan partook something of tht
 nature of an international court sucf
 as is today recommended by many o peace advocates. But the return O. Il Napoleon forced the adjournment O. parceled out the territory at issue, ant
 wholly before it could take up ant . . adjust those matters which nigh a have the more fully made for perman