The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-12-28
GERMAN KULTUR FAILS TO CHANCE :.
 PASSION 0F FRENCH PROVINCES; MAYOR OF COLMAR TELLS OF ESCAPE

are content. That is the thinking of Prussia.
 But can the Prussian tell us why while we were 8 part of France we never spoke bitterly of the govern ment? Why, under that kind German rule we have protested by our rep resentatives at the Riechstag? Why our young men have emigrated to es- cape militarydut y, while our citizens innumerabie have gone to inprison- ment for expressing their affection for France? k 20 --5s,se...s. :.,~ Despite the mills of industrial kul- tur which strive forever to pour eV- erything into hideous German mold, Alsace-Lorraine is today overwhelm- ingly French. If you wish, I will re- kcite some figures.
 "Our population Is 1,s00,0O0 alto gether Of those 100000 are natives almost without exception totally | immigrants or descendants of immi- grants.
 There is no difference whatever l between those who speak French, 1T Lorraine, for instance, and those 1T Alsace who speak a patois mixed with German, but which the Germans can not understand | Germany cannot possibly substan. tiate her claims that your provmces have been Germanized.' I agreed,
 German logic is able to think bott ways, like a donkey with two heads She has well learned the speech What is yours belongs to me and what is mine is my own" --szz-i'.ss
 Since the beginning of the pres ent war the German generals have made no hesitation about declaring i that they consider AIsace-Lorraine al enemy country. How much better than Belgians have we been in tho sight of Prussia? ''f
 Look at the thousands of Alsace. Lorrainers who have, been deported to slavery and answer for yourself. |
 we have been told we speak the French language in a provoking man ner. Therefore it is taken out of oul mouths, so that we may worship the Kaiser in his own sweet words. The prisons are full of my people who were arrested during those first awful days of the war. When they are candid-whict happens seldem-the Germans admit that they have no faith in the loyalty of Alsace-Lorraine. They mistreat us because we do not admire goose step do not regard the. sign 'Verboten' as more beautiful than our mountain scenery. Thus it is that Germany longs for der tag when we shall be dragged by the hair oeour heads into further despotism. ~
 "End1essly her papers discuss oul future and what they will do to dis, member us and what constitution we shall have as a monarchic and auton. omous state of the empire, We art uncomfortable to her, like a little stone in the big military boot.
 Monsieur, loyalty and love are no bought without price; that you know The martial courts have sought to si fence us with frightful grimaces. w have spoken of our love for France at the cost of our lives. Executions have been many, and thousands O. years of Imprisonment have been or dered by their councils of war. And is net alone matter of language, thi loyalty, for the sAlsatians of the uppel Rhine. who speak. the dialect. hay, suffered no less terribly than the oth CTS.
 "In the large cities, particular, Metz and Strassburg. you will find tn, Germans concentrated most thickly When Alsace-Lorraine- become . French again-and we are sure or 1t . lMonsieur-there will be scattertn, !, from those large cities. because tn