The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-06


My short stay in London during the
last few days afforded me an oppor-
tunity of discussing that resolution
with some of my British friends. They
all said that their wish had been to
harmonic their own formula with
that adopted in conference resolutions
and other statements by French So
cialists. They emphasized this point,
that above all they were anxious to
be in full agreement with us, or, rath-
ere to accept our views and make
them their own. They trusted our
will to respect scrupulously, even
when our national interests are invol-
we'd, the principles of democracy.
But L am afraid the detailed con-
siderations in our memorandum in
answer to the Dutch-Scandinavia
Committee at Stockholm have led our
friends little astray, and L will now
try to give the clearest possible state
ment of our views.
What French Socialists Say
Our British labor friends have been
led to believe we were in favor of a
plebiscite. They know that we always
dispose of themselves. They thought
that we could but auuply that prin-
cipIe automatically to the case of AL
sace-Lorraine. Alsace-Lorraine would
recover her right freely to decide,
probably under the control of an In
ternational or Franco-German Com
mission, whether she is to remain
German or return to France.
~ Ill 1rYr fr1 INNr
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 fight of France remains immu-
table; therefore Alsace"Lorraine must
come back to France.
But French Socialists further add
(and this may have misled our Bri-
fish friends) that. France, acting of
her own free will, will do herself hon
or by going so far, in her regard for
the right of self-determination, as to
agree, after Alsace-Lorraine has re-
sumed her place in the French COM
rnunity, to &C onsultation of the popu-
lations there, under the Conrroi or the
League of Nations. What is proposed
here is ont plebiscite which would
decide whether Alsace-Lorraine would
declare that they wished to be French
again.
think have made the distinction
clear. may add that, while this view
is held by an overwhelming majority
of the French socialist party, there
are member of the party (and 1 am
bound to say I am one of them, as
we'll as some socialists of Alsatiar
and Lorrainer origin) who are afraid
that even such a consultation may be
a dangerous concession, leading to g
dubious Interpretation; they adopt the
formula of the Republican League Of
Alsace-Lorraine, and declare that 6
consultation cannot be forced upor
these populations; it belongs to AL
sace-Lorraine herself to assert in hel
own way, at the moment and in the
form she prefers, her will to belong
to France.
Our views being thus clearly restat
ed, wish to add a few words of ex
iplanation for our British friends.
Why Plebiscite is Impossible
Why do French and Alsatians, il
this special case of Alsace-Borraine
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 a simple one. I'm,
question is not to give a population
the right for the first time to decid,
its own fate. 1t was in 1871 that tn,
right of peoples to dispose of them
selves was violated. The most char
acteristic feature of the French ma
ton is her complete unity, and tn
fact that all the populations of Franc
have unquestionably expressed thei
desire to belong to the French com
munity. No people in the world ha
attained to such an absolute unity
such an homogeneous national strue
ture. While Great Britain shows t.
the world the finest realization of tn
Imperial idea, France is the very ex
ample and prototype of the nation
In 1890, after the alternativ
changes which had made Alsace an
Lorraine now French, now Germa
territories, the Lorrainers and the Al
sations, on the great day of the Fed
GRAFTON, solemnly declared their reso
luton to be part of the French ma
ton at Strasburg, Mulhouse and i
other Alsation towns, the peopl
showed by stirring demonstration
how enthusiastically they proclaime
their French nationality. During tn
18th century, no separatise tendenc
ever found any expression in Alsac
or in Lorraine. In 1871, when the. tw
provinces were violently taken fror
France, the inhabitants raised befor
the Bordeaux Assembly a moving pre-
test, in which they declared tina
should even centuries pass, their rigt
to be Grench would remain indefeas