New-York tribune., 1918-05-05
Thomas Opposes
Plebiscite for
Alsace-Lorraine
French Socialist Says Brit
ish Labor Men Are
Misinformed
Right Is Unaltered
Protest of People to German
Rule aHs Never Ceased
in AZ Years
The Net0 York Tribune
Eo1,eS,n pr1,. U...cru

The Neso York Tribune
Foreign Press Bureau
M. Albert Thomas, the French So
cialist leader and ex-Minister of NUM-
tions, refuses to accept q plebiscite to
determine the restoration of Alsace-
Lorraine to France, and in an article
in "The Daily News" Of London, gives
his reasons for this stand. He says:
"Our British labor friends have been
led to believe we were in favor Of
plebiscite. They know that we always
firmly upheld the right of peoples to
dispose of themselves. They thought
that we could but apply that principle
automatically to the case of Alsace-
Lorraine. Alsace-L Lorraine would re-
cover her right freely to decide, proba-
bly, under the control of an interna-
tional or Franco German commission,
whether she is to remain German or
return to France
This is not the policy advocated by
the declarations of the French Social
lists. What they say is this: The right
OF France to Alsace- Lorraine remains
unaltered; it was in violation of the
| right OF peoples to self-determination
that Alsace-Lorraine was wrenched
from France; the Treaty of Frankfort
to which France had to submit, has
been torn to pieces by Germany's own
will in 1914; the document by which
Alsace-Lorraine was surrendered to
Germany has now been destroyed; the
right of France remains immutable;
therefore, Alsace-Lorraine must come
back to France
A Clear Distinction
"But French Socialists further add
that France, acting Of her own free will,
will do herself honor by going so far,
in her. regard for the right of self
determination, as to agree, after Alsace-
Lorraine has resumed her place in the
French community, to a consultation of
the populations there, under the con-
troll of the league of nations. What is
proposed here is not plebiscite which
would decide whether Alsace- Lorraine
would return to France or not, but a
consultation after the event, by which
the inhabitants of Alsace-Lorraine will
declare that they wished to be French
again.
~ think have made this distinction
clear. l may add that, while this view
is held by an overwhelming majority
of the French Socialist party, there are
members of the party (and l am bound
to say l am one of them, as we'll as
some Socialists of Alsatian and Lor-
such consultation may be a dangerous
concession, leading to a dubious inter
pretation; they adopt the formula of
the Republican League of Alsace-Lor-
raine, and declare that a consultation
cannot be forced upon these popula-
tions; it belongs to Alsace- Lorraine
herself to assert in her own way, at
the moment and in the form she pre-
fers, her will to belong to France.
"Our views being thus clearly re-
stated, | wish to add few words of
explanation.
Why Plebiscite Is Impossible
"Why do French and Alsatians, in this
special case of Alsace- Lorraine, think
that no plebiscite should take place,
in spite of their claim for the peoples
of the right to dispose of themselves
"The reason is simple one. The ques-
tion is not to give population the
right for the first time to decide it's
own fate. 1t was in 1871 that the right
of peoples to dispose Of themselves was
violated. The most characteristic feat
ure Of the French. nation is her COM
plete unity, and the fact that all the
/
ably expressed their desire to belong
to the French community. No people
in the world has attained to such alb
solute unity, such an homogeneous ma
tional structure. While Great Britain
shows to the world the finest realiza-
tion Of the imperial idea, France is
the very example and prototype of the
| nation.
During forty-seven years the pro-
4Ac 1f A 7
make itself heard in various ways. On
the eve of the present war, when the
Saverne incidents took place, Prus-
sian officer could say that the German
army in Alsace was practically in
enemy country. Since the beginning
of the war hundreds of sentences have
been passed by German judges on AL
satians whose guilt was to have ex-
pressed their French feelings.
ITO agree to plebiscite under such
circumstances would not only amount
to cancelling the repeated protesta-
tions of 1871, 1874 and of all times
It would be equivalent to declaration
that our right has become null and
void. 1t would amount to admitting
that the Treaty of Frankfort is still
valid, and it would vindicate Ger
many's action when in 1871 she vio-
lated the right Of peoples to dispose Of
themselves. 1t is because of this right
that the method of the plebiscite can
not be accepted.
"The protest, which never ceased
since 1871, establishes the fact of Al
sace-Lorraine's UNMARRIED desire to be-
long to France. France feels certain
that, should plebiscite be taken, the
result would be in her favor. But we
must not forget that there are in
Alsace-Lorraine 100000 Immigrants
that is to say, German settlers, many
of whom have been sent there as off,
cials of the German Empire; they, no
doubt, would declare for the endurance
Of German rule.
An International Question
"There is one more point on which
wish to lay special stress. The ques-
ton of Alsace-Lorraine is not merely
French question; it is an interna-
tional question, in which mankind is
| interested.
"Alsace-Lorraine kept under German
rule means permanent violation of
right in modern Europe. It means that
a just peace, conformable to the right
Of nations, has not been secured. 1t
means that the reign Of justice has
not superseded the hegemony of brutal
force.
"It is not only because the soldiers
Of the Marne and those of Verdun, by
their heroic sacrifices in defence Of
our common civilization, have deserved
| to he rewarded by the restoration to