Mohave County miner., 1917-04-28

that Alsace is German IN spirit today
1t is a superficial deduction lacking ex'
actly what the Germans have never
had, that is, the element of psychol
ogy," said Pastor Charles Wagner
author of ''The Simple Life" speaking
to The Associated Press about Presi-
dent Wilson's speech to the Democrat
ic National Committee and the semi
official reply sent out from Berlin in
which it was declared that Alsace is
today, as it always has been, German
in language, tradition and sentiment
Pastor Wagner began his career as
a Clergyman in Alsace after the wal
of 1870.
"The Germans claimed Alsace as a
German-speaking country; yet they
themselves were surprised in 1870 to
find a people there speaking a langu-
age similar to their own, yet so diff
ferent in everything that goes to make
up life continued the Pastor.
There were Alsatians that might
have been called half and half, that
had benefited from French culture
and German science. That element
thought that, if France should lose
Alsace, it might become more and
more a connecting link between the
two countries. Indeed, the historical
origin of Alsace would justify the
conviction that the country had a great
mission to perform in the world but
that mission was denied by the Ger
mans. They would not admit that the
Aisatians could draw on two sources.
They required that the annexed people
should forget France, that they should
have only one pride and one glory,
that Of being German.
81 was a student at Strassburg after
the war of 1870 and saw the beginning
Of that new and painful era for Alsace.
My first preaching was done there.
soon discovered that, if 1 remained,
could scarcely be anything more
than a corporal of the Emperor, l left
because 1 didn't want to become a
spiritual gendarme.'
"The Germans failed utterly to I'M
derstand what was noble and worthy
in the Alsatian character and how they
might have made themselves accept
ed. They were blind to the painful
situation of the tenacious and obsti-
nate Aalsatian people, holding to old
affections, and to whom, remaining
faithful to France in her -misfortunes,
Germany appeared all the more Excess
sive in her Civilizations. They had not
the tact and discretion of a successful
victor. The consequence was that Al
satians attributed the result of the
war of 1870 more to circumstances
than to Germany's superiority.
"The great contrast they were oblig-
ed to draw between the Germans who
emigrated from other provinces into
Alsace after the war and their ideal
German, destroyed their confidence in
the much Wanted German organiza-
ton.
"The Alsatian lives well and drinks
good wine, but he is ashamed to be
seen drunk. The absolute absence of
dignity in this respect by the immi-
grated Germans made it impossible for
the Alsatian to associate with them.
"The younger generations become
more indifferent than the old by force
of circumstances, but the partial con-
quest of this younger element was not
a spiritual conquest. 1t was simply
because the population was becoming
habituated to new rulers, as an old
woman becomes habituated to her
false teeth, to her failing beauty, with
out in any sense becoming enamoured
of her old age.
"The Germans needed a Napoleon to
complete the military conquest of 1870
by the spiritual conquest of the people.
He would never lay a hand upon in
situations particular to Alsace and
Lorraine. He was chaffed once about
the generals on his staff who spoke
German. 1t is true they do speak
German he said; 'Kellerman swears
in German, but he fights in French
Napoleon knew that the spirit of the
Alsatian was French and tnat ne need
ed have no anxiety on the score of the
language. In fact, the French policy
since Louis XIV. had been never to
touch anything in Alsace. The country
was left with language that was not
national. German and French were
taught, but the old patois was the sub
stance. French penetrated the prov
ince like a perfume instead of like a
projectile as did German institutions.
"a curious result-of the German eff
fort To Staporo ou+ Fyancb in A1saca