The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-01-31

were twice as numerous as the pop
ulation of the German empire and
Austria-Hungary. Republican France
lent the Russia of the czar billions
to construct strategical railways in
the kingdom of Poland in order to fa-
cilitate an advance against us. The
French republic drew on it's last man
for three years of service. Thus
France, with Russia, built up arma-
lments extending to the limit of the
capabilities of both, thereby pursu-
ing aims which our enemies now
term imperielistic.
1T would have been neglect of
duty had Germany remained calm
spectator of this game and had we
not also endeavored to create an ar
mament which would protect us
against future enemies. | may, per-
haps, recall that |, as a member OF
the Reichstag, very frequently spoke
on these matters and, on the occasion
of new expenditure on armament,
pointed out that the German people,
in consenting to these, solely desired
to pursue policy of peace and such
armaments were only imposed on us
to ward off the danger threatening
from possible enemy 1t does not
appear that any regard was paid to
these words abroad.
Wrong Done in 1871.
"And Alsace Lorraine of which
Lloyd George speaks again? He
speaks of the wrong Germany did in
1871 to France. Alsace Lorraine
you need not be told but abroad they
appear still to be ignorant of things
-Alsace Lorraine composes what is
known for the most part purely Ger
man regions which by a century long
of violence and illegality were sever
ed from the German empire and un-
til finally in 1873 the French revo-
luton swallowed up the last rem
nants. Alsace and Lorraine then be-
came French provinces.
when in the war of 1871 we de-
manded back the districts which had
been criminally wrested from us that
was not a conquest of foreign terri
tory but rightly and properly speak
ing what today is called disannexa-
ton and this disannexation was then
expressly recognized by the French
national assembly, the constitutional
representative of the French people
at that time, March 29, 1871, by a
large majority of votes.
"And in England, too, gentlemen,
language quite other than is heard
today has been heard l can appeal
| to classic witness. 1t is none 9TH
er than the famous British historian
and author, Thomas Carlye, who in
| a letter to The Times in December,
1870, wrote: No people has had such
bad neighbor as Germany has po-
sessed during the last 400 years in
France
Frontier Wall.
Germany would have been mad
had she not thought of erecting such
frontier wall between herself and
such a neighbor when opportunity Of
fered.
"Observe that I have not repeated
a very hard expression which Car
lyle used about France. / know of
no law of nature, no resolution of
eavenly parliaments, whereby France
alone of all earthly beings was not
obliged to restore stolen territories
if the owners from which they had
been snatched had an opportunity
of reconquering them. And respect
ed England press organs expressed
themselves in a like sense. l men
ton, for example, The Daily News.
81 now come to President Wilson.
Here, too, I recognize that the tone
appears to have changed. The unan-
imous reception of Mr.. Wilson's at
tempt in reply to the Pope's note,
to SOW discord between the German
government and the German people
| has had it's effect This unanimous
rejection might of itself lead Mr..
Wilson on the right path. A be-
ginning to that end has perhaps been
made, for there is now at any rate
no longer talk about oppression of
the German people by an autocratic
government and the former attacks
on the house of Hohenzollern have
not been repeated.
Wilson's Peace Programme
Il shall not enlarge upon the dis
torted representation of German pol
INV, which ic oontoinod in Mr. NVi1.