The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-04
WHY AlSACE-l0RRA|ht
REMAINS PR0-fRtNCH

Washington, Oct 3.-Observers are
studying with Increased interest the
political history of Alsace-Lorraine
The course OF this Reichsland's history
10 recognized as one of the most sig
nIticant in the story of the world.
Through a multitude of other causes
o: the holocaust in Europe. the case
Of Alsace-I4orralne presents itself
with a growing significance. 1t is
here that Prussia initiated her grand
mistake and. through the forcibie ces-
sion of this state, engineered the
hatreds and Welt Politik" for which
mankind hold most dear and precious.
In 1872, when the German confed-
stf@fs-was feFn4edrrthis .hnntY land
was considered as prize of the con-
federation as n whole, with the regu-
lstive powers vested In the king of
Prussia The state was permitted to
send delegates to the reichstag, but
could not be represented In the
buEdesrat, the real power In govern
mental Germany.
When Bismarck and Won Moitke
annexed this territory their view was.
undoubtedly. to bring back into Ger
man hands a land formerly German,
and. also to protect tho newly formed
empire from future French inya-
sion by an undisput@d German con-
troll of the valley of the Rhine and
the cr@ets of the Vosges
The German thesis is not indefen-
sihle
However. with the usual asininity
OF German officia ldom, the assimila
ton Of the people was hurried, and
hurried by most unwise and impossi-
Bile measures. The idea seems to have
been that an assimilation could take
place in one, or, at the most, two gem
erations, and that II could be effected
while the people paid Prussian taxes
ard were not granted representation
in the laying OF said taxes AZ a
necessary vent to human nature. the
result was the failure of Prassian po-
lice methods all during the first thirty
years OF the occupation. What hap
pened after that in Metz, Colmar,
strassbourg and Mulhouse we shall
soe.
Mother Tongue Forbidden.
The year 1910 marks the new period
OF Prussan misrule. The use OF
French was stringently forbidden on
tombstones. In courts of justice, in the
schools and in public gatherings. In
decd, severe punishment has been
melted out for the use OF the French
language in certain private and semi
private gatherings.
German immigrants shipped into the
Reichsland bred children, only 10 have
them take sides with the indigenous
population in their clamor for annex
ton TO Germany on an equal basis
with the other German states This
hitter point, contrary to general belief.
was actually just what the Alsatians
agltated for. French culture and
ideals began to have their effect when
alf opportunities and pleadings for n
relaxation of Prussian oppressive
! methods and a representation In the
government failed
Prussian rule remained infexibie
Guarantees and alterations were
promised and seemingly complied
with. only to have the people discover
when the smoke of Prussian bland
duplicity cleared away. that they
we're bound more hopelessly than
ever. This In the government. while
IA every hamlet Prussian officers com
n,itted every offense from felony to
murder and were rewarded with light
In the spring of 1912 the Prussians
further showed their disapprovsI Of
tho agitation enRendered by attempt
Ing to ruin the Alsatian factories at
trafenstaden, near Strassbourg, by
Withdrawing all orders for locomo-
ttves for the Prussian railways
In the month Of May in this same
year, the popular Indignation. already
inhamed, was famed to fever heat by
the remarks OF the German emperor
I" the mayor OF Strassbourg. during an
imperial visit to the city. He ts re-
ported to have said
Listen, Up to here you have only
known the good side of me. Things
cannot continue az they are. II this
situation lasts. We will suppress your
i constitution and annex you to Prus-
STA
/ The Socialists bitterly assaulted the
speech on the floor OF the reichstag
four days later:
We salute the imperial words as
the confession fun of weight and
coming from a competent source, that
annexation IN Prussia is the heaviest
i punishment that one can threaten to
4 impose upon a people for its resist '
ance against Germany 1t Is pun
ishment like hard labor in the peni-
Tertiary with loss of civil rights"
AT the conclusion or tnlS speech, the
chancellor and all the ministry left
the room.
4 Newspapers Held I'm Leash.
/ Aisatian newspapers were held to a
narrow course by most severe code
ri laws. but suspensions were taking
place every day. To he profitable, a
journal could do naught else but sup
4, port the Berlin policies school of
cartoonists came to the fore. and by
series OF caustic and meaning car
toons. indicted Berlin till the officials.
! in their fury. began placing prison
sentences Unfortunately among car
toonists and journalists Zislin and
Hansi. two of the foremost and i'm
placahle opponents of the Prussian
/ regime, were bounded continually
Indeed, onlv one year before the out
break OF the present war Hansi vol
unfairly exiied himself when sem
fenced to one year IN a German prison
i And SO. France. who had represent
ed TO the heroes of 1893 the beau-ideal
If democracy, came gradually to the
fore as the influence In Alsace- Lor-
ratne. Her culture. her ideals and her
! citizenship because valued dreams OF
loyal Aisatians. But far off dreams
they seemed; and the Alsatians. In
their growing love for the republic