The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-29
DISNEMBERING GERMANY.

Boston Transcript Challenged by
Chancellor Michaels to tell the world
whether or not the French government
had entered into a secrs; treaty with
the Car Nicholas OF Russia. before the
recent revolution, by the terms of
which the car bound himself to sup
port French pretensions not only to Al
SAGE and Lorraine but 10 German terri.
tory on the left bank of the Rhine. NJ.
Ribot has made a reply in which. while
characteriziug a large part Of the Ger.
man chancellor's insinuations in his
speech as lies, he makes the surprising
admission:
M. Doumergue leX.premier and for.
eign minister, after conversation with
the car, demanded and obtained NJ
Brands authorization TO take note of
the cars promise to support our claim
TO Alsace'Lorraine and TO leave us free
TO seek guarantees against fresh aggres-
sion, not by annexing territories on the
left bank Of the Rhine, but making an
autonomous state Of these territories,
which would protect us and also Bel.
gium against invasion
This is decidedly interesting avowal
OF French intentions concerning the ad.
justments which, promising the success
OF the entente allies in the war. might
be expected to follow II promises, In.
deed, a considerable step toward the
dismemberment Of Germany and the
formation Of another new state in Eu.
rope. The left side OF the Rhine is the
left side as one faces down the stream.
and that means the territories Of the
Rhine Palatinate or Rhein.Pfalz
Rhine-Hessen. Birkenfeld and the great
Rhineland proper, and il includes the
cities OF Worms. Ludwigshafen, Co
logne, Coblenz, AiX.h.Chapelle. Kre.
field, Cleves and others. II is region
larger, territorially and much more
populous and rich than Alsace and Lor.
raine together.
1t Is a purely German region. and
yet II has unquestionably certain his.
torical and sympathetic leanlngs to-
ward France, having long. been subject
to French artistic and literary influ.
ence. while at different epochs il has
been for periods politically Joined TO
France. II separated from Germany
administratively, even II not politically
joined TO France. 1t is conceivable that
In the course OF time II might become
another Alsace, another Lorraine. The
lodestone OF Gallic influence is a most
powerful one, and no one knows that
better than the French themselves.
They have converted into good French.
men very diverse and, In some respects.
very foreign populations-Germans in
Alsace, Flemish in French Flanders
Celts in Brittany. Italians in SAVOY.
Nice and Corsica, Catalans in the Py.
renees
What could have led TO VI. Doumer.
que TO sound the Car Nicholas on this
subject2 Had he already obtained Eng.
lands sanction TO the plan? Under
what suzerainty did he propose to leave
his new state-under that of France
or that OF Germany? Were NJ. Ribot
and NJ. Doumergue so trustful OF the
cars loyalty TO the entente that they
scorned TO believe he would hetray the
plan to Germany These and other
questions remain TO be answered. But
Is at least plain that the entente
powers have set in motion their ma.
chinery for penalizing Germany after
the war In view OF what they have
suffered In blood and treasure and
ravaged lands, and OF the danger OF
which France, Belgium. Britain and
Luxembourg. not to speak OF Holland,
must always be from a Germany going
scot free, we cannot blame the French
statesmen for seeking some such guar.
antee rs this II is. however. case
Of first catch your hare" The new
autonomous Rhenish states lies beyond
a considerable number OF great allied
offensives, as Italy lies beyond the Alps.