New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-23
A Boche Forgery
Exposure Of an Attempt to Hurt =
Friends Of Alsace-Lorraine

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: You have published in yest.,a.-.
issue OF The Tribune a letter entitled Ia,
and His Army" signed "Ruef, presid.x,
the Society Of the Friends Of Alsaee'
This letter is a forgery. I never wrote -
a letter, nor would II have been possih,. -
me to write IL
IL always sign my name in full, Cltu.s
Ruef, and when I do so in the espsc;tv
president Of our society always add IA. =,
name Of our society LES Amis de- PAI,...
Lorraine or in English, "The Friend.
There never appeared a..
letter simply signed By me "RueT" or .pr,,i
dent Of the Society Of the Friends Of Alu,y
without Lorraine), as is the case with TN
letter.
H.-While I am far from being an En,,s
scholar, never could have written such r.
lsh as that.
HI-As far as I am concerned, a. vel ..
our society, The Tribune could never .. "a.
far in praising our mother country. France
W. could never have used the sru,,.
sion "Marechal de France General JoHre.-
VI could never have found tina, Il.
Tribune in praising France for whs. il hs
done during this war was offending the Friend
Republic.
VII could never have used an expre,sio,
purporting 70 be dsagreesble to our eool
friend and ally England, thanks to whex
early, constant and faithful help, the Allis
have been able to withstand the German mon
ster.
Not a Republic OF Military Glory
VIII could never have said that "0un
was and is a republic of military glory A
while the armies OF the First Republic VEN
indeed glorious and while the armies frhtius
under Joffre, Petain, Nivelle, etc, are siI
more glorious, | would never say tina. F,su
is a republic Of military glory, as France h
essentially . peaceful country, and IL had n
keep an army and had to have its childre,
drafted, not for revenge, not for military
glory, but to face the unavoidable onslaught
of the German hordes.
WILL could never have glo.ihed Gensrd
Boulanger, this would-be dictator and near
clown. who almost succeeded in bringing tn
French Republic to its fall.
K.-While we from Alsace-Lorrsine desry
love Paul Deroulede on account CT his mag
nificent patriotic songs and poems and 70,
his efforts in behalf Of our poor down-tro&
den provinces, we never would have sup
ported him when he assisted Boulsnger 10
his seditious efforts to overthrow the republic
and replace it by a kingdom or an empire.
X--I would never have said that The Thk
une in prasng Joffre, his army and Frame
was belittlng itself by using false natte1
and falsehood, which to my knowledge Th
Tribune never used.
XII wish to express my surprise % u
how it could happen that The Tribune should
publish such a letter, which in an evident
forgery 1t is typical Boche makeup full
of nisstatements and contradictions, written
in the worst English imaginable and with ihs
evident intention to do harm. net to me per-
sonally, but to the Society CT lies Amis Dc
PAlsace- Lorraine" (The Friends Of Alsses-
Lorraine) and to the patriotic cause fol
which we are working. 1t Is entirely 10
keeping with the Boche propaganda, which
has of late been able, under false pretsness
and signatures, to impose upon the publisher,
of the American press in order to dsereda
the Alsatians in this country and TO make me
American people believe that the Alsaaan
want to be Germans, while, as everyoodj
who knows US is aware, the mere mama
our oppressors, Of these tyrants. these Huis
these murderers, these thieves, these d
flers of women, is an adherence to US sh
that we would rather see our little eouff7
90 down forever than to become agaln
part of that empire Of pirates and bandits
I hope that you will kindly state what ne
aims of our society are, and to that enee'
append our programme:
"Les Amis de pAlsace-Lorraine' -
ciety created for the purpose OF Assisting
the two lost provinces Of Alsace- Lorraine
become French again and OF helping us
people Of Alsace-Lorraine.
Aims of the Society
The means by which these objects VIII
attained are:
Protection of real Alsstians and Lns
rainers living in the United States 50 "a"
they shall not be considered Germans. i"
society, with the sanction OF the frencn 80"
eminent, will issue to all natives OF Aisse:
Lorraine who are descendants Of ffenes
parents certificate emitting them 70 Wv
protection Of France.
u.-Assistance Of refugees Of Alsace-L""
iaine in France and in neutral countries |.
we'll as of the Inhabitants Of the par" ~
Alsace- Lorraine that are occupied ~ "'
French.
III.-Assistance of soldiers, natives "
Asace- Lorraine, who are fighting az INV
present in France and replacing as iar y
possible their parents, from whom they ''
entirely cut off.
IV.-Courses in French for the Aisae'''
that know imperfectly that language. =.
V.-Propaganda in the United states -
countcr-balance the German propas'au1
which has as its object to make Americas
people believe that Alsatans are Germ.ns
and Of which the letter published IN ye''s''
days Tribune is typical example. T..
Publication of travellers gu'oe ~
Alsace Lorraine, the work on which our ~
ciety has begun, so that American 'ou ,...,.
and business men who wish to visit our "'"'
country will be enabled to do so. 4
VII.-Assistance in the reeonstruetioa ~ -
the cities, villages and homes DESTROYER
the Huns in Alsace-Lorraine during tn's ~
The society is composed OF two nnos =
members, active members, who must DC
tives or descendants Of Alsatians or Lo'''~