Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-10-31
STIRs HATRED IN
ALsACE-lORRAINE
German MisruIe on Conquered
Provinces Fosters Pro-
French Spirit.
DRASTIC MEASURES A.vrTfp
Newspapers Held to Most Severe ca.
Of Laws-cartoonists Arouse Eurv
Of Berlin Officials and Are
Thrown Into Prison.

Washington.--Oh are s.,a,
fng with increased interest the pol,a.
cal history of Alsace-Lorraine Tn
course Of this Reichland's history il
recognized MS one Of the most slvnls.
cant in the story Of the world. Thronph
multitude of other causes OF the hal.
ocaust In Europe. the case of Alsace.
Lorraine presents itself with a grow.
ing significance. It is here that prns.
sia initiated her grand mistake md
through the forcible cession of this
state. engineered the hatreds and
"Welf-Politik" for which she Is nav.
Ing now with all that humankind hola
most dear and precious.
In 1872. when the German confeaer.
alton was formed. this booty land vac
considered as prize of the eonfeder.
alton as whole. with the regulatiye
powers vested in the king OF Prussia.
The state was permitted 10 send dele.
gates to the reichstag, but could not
be represented In the bundesrat the
real power In governmental Germany.
With the usual asininIty of German
of'icialdom. the assimilation OF the peo-
pie was hurried. and hurried BY
most unwise and impossible meas
ures. The idea seems TO have been
that an assimilation could take mace
In one, or, at the most. two genera
tons. and that II could be effected
while the people paid Prussian taxes
and were not granted representation
In the laying OF said taxes. As
necessary vent to human nature, the
result was the failure Of Prussan DO.
lice methods all during the first thirty
years Of the occupation. What hap
pened after that in Metz, Colmer,
Strassbourg and Mulhouse we shall
see.
Prussian Misruie.
The year 1910 marks the new Pc
Rod of Prussian misrule. The use Of
French was stringently forbidden on
tombstones. In courts Of justice, In the
schools and In public gatherings. In
deed. severe punishment has been
meted out for the use Of the French
language In certain private and semi
private gatherings.
German immigrants shipped into the
Reichsland bred children. only to have
them take sides with the indigenous
population In their clamor for annexa-
tion to Germany on an equal basis
with the other German states. This
latter point. contrary to general belief.
was actually just what the Alsatians
agitated for. French culture and
ideals began to have their effect when
all opportunities and pleadings for
relaxation Of Prussian oppressive
methods and representation in the
government failed.
Prussian rule remained inaexihle
Guarantees and alterations were
promised md seemingly complied with.
only to have the people discover, when
the smoke OF Prussian bland duplicity
cleared away. that they were bound
more helplessly than ever.
In the spring Of 1912 the Prussians
further showed their dlsapproval OF
the agitation engendered by attempt
ing to ruin the Alsatian factories az
Grafenstaden. near Strassbourg' by
Withdrawing all orders for locomo-
tives for the Prussian railways.
In the month Of May. IN this same
year. the popular indignation, already
infiamed. was famed to fever heat ny
the remarks Of the German emperor
to the mayor OF Strassbourg. during an
imperial visit to the city. He Is re-
ported to have said:
Listen. Up to here you have chis
known the good side OF me. Things
cannot continue as they are. II tins
situation lasts. we will suppress yo1'
constitution and annex you 70 ff.''
sia."
A'snt.an newspapers were held "a
narrow course by most severe coue
Of laws, but suspensions were taKlus
place every day. To be profitable
Journal could do naught else but sup
port the Berlin policies. A school Oh
cartoonists came to the fore. and os
a series Of caustic and meaning car
toons. indicted Berlin till the oiheiais
in their fury. began placing prison
sentences indiscriminately among car
toonists and journalists.
And SO. France. who had represent
ed to the heroes of 1893 the beauidsa'
OF democracy, came gradually TO the
fore as the influence in Alsace-Loi-
rnine. Her culture, her ideals ana ne.
citizenship became valued dreams u
loyal Alsatians. But far on dreams
they seemed; and the Alsatians ~
their growing love for the repupl'e,
could not harbor the thought ma
France should suffer the throes OF
war with remorseless Prussia FOR 'i'e',
sake. But the war was coming aua
to Alsatians 1t means as all Observes
agree. q reunion with France.
But. queer enough, the world ~
gins to see that the treaty OF Franz
fort was the germ Of the present no'v
caust, and that II leads to the u''e
destruction Of Prussian autocracy nn
world autocracy--that Alsace-Lor'a'.o -