New-York tribune., 1917-07-31
Another German Discovery"


cry" Of the Germans in Brussels. No one
can fail TO recall that here faithful, cred
ib!e German oficers-as credible as any
German-found proof which convinced all
Germany that Belgium had long been plot
ting to attack the German Empire, and
that the German invasion in fact only
forestalled the Belgian conspiracy.
1T is worth while recalling also that GER
tain German papers have discovered"
that the reason that the United States is
at war with Germany is to be found in the
fact that the Presidents son-in-law, Sec
retary of the Treasury McAdOo, is under
the control Of the wicked Anglophile Nor
gans. To recall these two interesting Ger
man discoveries is to get a sense Of
values in dealing with the newest Ger
man find.
Turning now TO this German allegation,
which curiously enough sees the light of
cay alongside declarations in many Ger
man papers that only the feeble-minded
imagine that the Germans will ever give
up Belgium, what is the probable sub
stance of it?
The German statement confidently men
tions the name of Saarbruecken and
vaguely adds other vast territorial modi-
fications on the left bank of the Rhine.
What it seems to refer TO is the coal region
which is northeast of the old frontier of
Alsace-Lorraine as it existed before the
war of 1870. Apparently the Germans
think they have unearthed French plot
to annex some Of their territory north of
the Saar River.
The history of this territory is simple.
In the eighteenth century Lorraine passed
to the French Grown, not by war or by
conquest, but by the death of the King of
Poland and in accordance with previous
agreements. Lorraine, as it then existed
included very considerable portion of the
territory northeast of the Saar River
which is now German territory. In this
region and within the frontiers of Lor.
raine were very considerable coal deposits
France had been conquered Prussia
marked out and took as part of her owr
prize these coal districts. In the first Con.
gress of Vienna, which preceded the return
Of Napoleon from Elba, Prussia was sat.
isfed with the boundary of the Saar River
hut at the second Congress Prussian appe.
tite increased and a number Of towns south
of the river, including Saarlois, were
taken. Thus in 1915 Prussia took from
\ France her most considerable and valuable
coal fields.
In 1871, in the Treaty Of Frankfort
Germany extended her conquest to include
all the iron regions of Lorraine then dis
covered, After the Congress of Vienna
and the Treaty of Frankfort, therefore
the Germans quite believed that they haC
deprived France Of her greatest coal-pro
Gucing districts and her richest iron re
gions. The fact that valuable deposits Of
iron were subsequently found withir
French territory has always ranked il
the German mind, and the determination OF
Germany TO annex the Briey district ha.
been frequently set forth in all sorts Of
German publications and by all sorts Of
Germans.
We may very well leave it to the French
10 eN ain what the facts of the situation
are as their purposes and war aims, but
it is wo tn recalling that the district which
the Germans now allege that the Frencl
wickedly, corruptly and imperialistically
seek 70 annex is the coal district stoler
from France after Napoleon had been de
feated in 1915.
This German mannuyre should deceive
nobody. II is certain that there will b,
any number Of similar efforts 10 impres,
upon the Russian and the American pco
pies the idea that this is only war Of
conquest on the part Of all nations thai
ere fighting, and that the sole obstacle Il
peace is the appetite Of the nations which
are fighting Germany No American car
bo deceived .,1d no Russian should be. The