New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-18
German Official Says
France Can Never
Regain Province
READY TO FIGHT
TO THE LAST MAN
Washington Authority
Hints TeutOnS Will
Quit Pacific
From The Tribune Bureau J

will never give up Asace and Lor-
raine while there is a German liv-
ing"
That was the answer Of mai
high in the confidence of the Ger
man government when asked to-day
II in the terms which may be sub
mitted to a peace council there was
any possibility Of Germany cedlns
these two provinces back to France.
But is not that the one thing
which France has desired since 1870,
and would France ever consent to 4
lasting peace without recovering
those two provinces?" he was asked.
In reply he said:
"We might make this proposition
to the Allies, should the peace con-
ference begin the consideration Of a
claim by the French TO these prov
inces: that we would take a referen-
dunn in Alsace and Lorraine, and let
the people of those two provinces de-
termine to which country they would
prefer TO belong.
Has No Fear Of Result
1--WE have no doubt how such =
referendum would go. Those people
are essentially German. and were for
many years before France took them.
They would oppose strongly being
transferred to France
"But aside from that no German for
one moment would consent to giving
up the provinces in question. II seems
TO me ridiculous that any one should
propose such thing. II is unhesrd
of for a nation, in proposing peacs
terms, to ask for something which was
not hers at the beginning of the. war.
nor held by force OF arms at the time
the peace negotiations are being con-
ducted
"As | said before. however, Germany
would fight until the last man was
dead before relinquishing Alssce or
Lorraine. Give up Strassburg? Why
it is ridiculous.
"Do you think there will he any
stipulation about disarmament IN tho
peace treaty." he was asked.
when peace has finally been
achieved, no matter whether IN tho
near future or some years hence" he
replied 81 do not think there is any
likelihood Of anotner big war for many
years. None of US will be anxious %
get into war again while We remembee
this one. SO that one incentive foe
big armament will be removed.
Says Edward VII Planned War
Another thing. We have known
this war was coming on for long
while We knew that King Edward
VII of England was forming coalitions
against US, and that they would all at
tack us some day, so We prepared as
best we could. Now they have at
tackled US, and have discovered that
they cannot crush US. There will nog
remain the same cause for arming -
the teeth after this war is over oitner
on our part, for we have weathered tho
attack. or on the part OF the Allies, for
they have struck the blow they have
been planning so long"
"Is there any possibility of German
Poland being given to the new pro-
posed Polish kingdom which would be
carved principally out of Russian he
was asked.
"Not at all There would be no logic
II e..
there is no German Poland. What Is
so called is inhabited principally by
Germans, with only few Poles here
and there throughout the province. The
two races have mixed. In fact. there IS
not a single district in the province
that is entirely Polish.
Guardian Of Small Nations
"Our interest in the creating OF tho