Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-11-20
Inhabitants of Lost Prov
inces Deserted German
Colors in Order to Fight
+. With the French.
Men From Alsace- Lorraine
Fled From Their Native
States in Order to Escape
Service Under Hated Ger
man Flag.
BY HENRY WOOD.

WIN Inc Z fenCH Armies A1lelQ, OCt.
os.-(By MaiD-Since the beginning
of the war over 10000 inhabitants of
Alsace and Lorraine have succeeded
In deserving from the German army or
from German Jurisdiction and escap-
ing into France where they have en-
listed in the French armies.
Military men throughout Europe
recognize as the greatest test of pa
triotism the willingness to enter into
the military service of the country to
which people prefer to belong. From
this point of view Alsace and Lorraine
have never ceased to be part of
France. AS a consequence, when the
present war was declared there were
many generals and officers of all
grades in the French army who were
natives of Alsace and Lorraine.
GREAT MILITARY RECORD.
During the period that Alsace and
Lorraine were a part of France they
made the most remarkable contribu-
tions to the military genious Of the
mother country. Under the empire
and the republic no less than 62 of the
greatest French generals and marshals
were natives Of Alsace and Lorraine.
Yet when the two provinces became
annexed to the greatest military power
of Europe, this flow of military genius
from Alsace and Lorraine appeared to
suddenly dry up. In reality the mill =
tary genius of Alsace and Lorraine
did not dry up at all with the annex
ations of the two, provinces to Ger
many. 1t continued flowing just as it
always had in the past-namely into
France as. indicated by the many gen
erals and officers from Alsace and Lor-
raine who were serving In the French
armies when the war began. The same
thing applied to the soldiers in the
ranks.
FEW FIT FOR SERVICE.
Not a few of the above were either
members or direct descendants of the
first military class of Alsace and Lor-
raine that should have gone to the
German colors following the annexa-
ton. This class numbered 10000
young men who had just come of mil
itary age. Rather than wear the hated
spiked helmet of the Prussian army
the great bulk of this class left their
native provinces. Only $4,000 ever
presented themselves to the German
military authorities and of this num-
Der only 10000 were found fit for mil
ltary, service.
OF those who fled, thousands came
to France and Joined the French arm
les. Many became in the end either
the officers or the fathers of the Of
ficers and soldiers. Since the desert
ton from Alsace and Lorraine this
first military class under German
domination, an average of 1000 young
men have deserted from the two prov
inces every year. rather than take ur
German military service.
1t is very probable that at the out
break of the present war more inhab-
itants of Alsace and Lorraine were
fighting in the French ranks than in
the German. This number has since
constantly increased as fast as means
could be found of escaping into
France.
In the French armies today are tc
be found officers who before the wal
were rich manufacturers, property
owners and business men of the two
provinces. With the outbreak of the
war they unhesitatingly abandoned all
their property, many of them possess
ing concerns valued at millions and
escaping across the border enlisted in
the French armies for the redemption
of Alsace and Lorraine.