Mohave County miner., 1917-04-21
.FREHCHMAR TELLS OF
LIFE IN LORRAINE
UNDER GERMAN RULE


43 years of unfaltering and uninter-
rupted protest against German domi-
nation in Lorraine, and 1 can tell you
that Lorraine does not want to be Ger
man," said Canon Collin of Metz to
the Associated Press.
Canon Collin was one of the most
notable residents Of the annexed
provinces of Lorraine; his name was
third on the German imperial list of
suspects to be shot when war broke
out. The French counter-espionage
informed him of the fact and he es-
capped into Luxembourg before the
war began.
"They did me too much honor in
placing me so high on the list" the
Canon added, "for my sentiments were
no more anti-German than those of
the whole people of Lorraine.
"The policy of the population Of
both provinces for 43 years may be
summed up in the word, protest. in
three degrees; first, official protest
against German occupation and in
favor Of remaining French; second,
protest against the interference of
Germans in our local affairs; third,
demand for the autonomy of Alsaee
and Lorraine; although there were diff
ferent degrees and different stages,
there was never any cessation or di-
minution Of our resistance.
"After Is years of this official pro-
testation began the regime of dicta-
torship and passports, with the object
of annihilating that resistance, but
it was continued through the press
and at the polls at every election. Pro-
test survived the dictatorship, after
which it continued in the form of what
might be called 'particularism' or the
idea of Lorraine for the natives of
Lorraine.
''The Germans had so little confi-'
dence in the population that they i'm
posed their own officials upon US.
German-born people flocked into Lor-
raine and Alsace until they numbered
nearly 100000 in both provinces. It
was then we demanded that the Ger
mans get out and leave the place to
the natives of Alsace and Lorraine.
"Our first hope, in spite of all, was
to return to France, though at times
we had the painful sentiment that
France was forgetting us. We or
ganized the Souvenir Francois
throughout Lorraine and it did won
ders to revive French sentiment and
reawaken French patriotism in Lor-
raine. The Germans broke up the
Souvenir Francois, then we organized
the Souvenir Lorraine which was the
same thing under new name.
"a third of the population of Lor-
raine knows not word of German.
About 100000 know both French and
German imperfectly while on the Ger
man frontier a German patois is
spoken.
"The Alsatians have been well call
ed The Gascons of the North because
of their ready wit. The people of
Lorraine are colder and more reserved
perhaps more patient and persistent.
''The Alsatians as soon as they re-
covered from the first stupor of the
German invasion poked fun at the i'm
migrants. The people of Lorraine
drew themselves up in naughty dis
dain. They opposed the force Of in
resistance to the ag-
gressions of the invader and the Ger
man in Lorraine has never ceased to
be regarded as in invader.
There were more carpet-baggers
in Lorraine than in Alsace. While
every facility was given to them to
enrich themselves at the expense of
he country, the natives were official
y treated as citizens of the second
class.
eve were considered good enough
% be street cleaners and railroad
lands; occasionally a native rose to
he distinction of railroad conductor,
1ut that was the limit. There was
opposition to everything that smelt of
Germany.
''The attitude Of the Germans to-
ward the population of Lorraine dur
ng the war is striking proof that they
hey do not believe what they say of
he loyalty of Lorraine to Germany.
Arrests were made by hundreds, of
'riests and notable citizens. A great
lumber of women attached to the Ger
nan police brought to Metz from Ber-
in and distributed among the popula-