The Washington herald., 1918-02-17

ion about Afsace-Lorralne from year
ago. when nine Englishmen out of
ten dismissed the question by saying
that the provinces must simply be
handed back to France.
This Is due to the increasing hold
upon mems minds of the democratic
principles Of self-determination Of
nationa1ities. Many influential liberals
think that to lay down a general prin-
ciple and attempt to apply 1t every
where excepting in Alsace-Lorraine'
but to refuse a plebiscite In these
provinces on the ground that they
belong" to France regardless OF the
will of the Inhabitants, Is an incon-
sistency that cannot be permitted. A
strong section of the French Social
list party agree with the demand for
plebiscite.
1t is not denied that the difficulties
of holding a fair and honest vote in
these provinces are almost insuperable.
Experts differ as to the result, but
many hold that important parts OF
each province would vote French and
other parts German, and that accord
ingly q compromise might be effected.
do not wish to say that majority
opinion here supports a plebiscite
rather than diannexation" by
France at Germany's expense. do
not think 1t does, as yet. But labor
has pronounced for a plebiscite, opin-
ion seems veering in that direction.
and Lloyd George recognized the fact
by using the word Reconsideration"
instead of restitution"
Lloyd George probably spoke for the
bulk Of English opinion when he said
that If Russia concluded a separate
peace under conditions which left her
northern provinces of Courland and
Lithuania under control Of the enemy,
it would not be possible for the allies
to prevent Germany from continuing
in occupation. So deep is the resent
ment at Russia that the man in the
street would not object to German
acquisitions at her expense. More re-
sponsible opinion holds. however. that
it is vital for the safety of Poland
that the neighboring provinces be kept
out OF German control and the allies
will help in any way possible to keep
them from Russia. or to maintain their
independence II they vote for auton-
omy 1t is blindness to overlook the
possibility. however. that it may not
be possible to prevent their virtual an
nexRtion.
Position of Italy.
A dispatch from London is not the
place to discuss the aspirations of
Italy. All the allies are agreed that
Italy must have the Trentino and
some territory on her eastern
frontier that is predominantly Ital-
ian by race. But the principle of
nationality. and OF free choice for
populations that are to be transfer
red may come in conflict with Ital-
ian desires to make annexations for
strategic reasons, legitimate as
those reasons would be in a world
ruled by force. as in the past. 1t
Is fair to add that italian Socialists
and Radicals who subscribe to the
League of Nations as the principal
war aim repudiate the more am
bilious territorial designs Of their
compatriots.
= There remains for discussion the
German colonies and the regions
taken from Turkey. Lloyd George,
in a passage understood to have
been written by Gen. Smuts, de-
manded free choice for the African
natives. The difficulties of the
colonial problem for Britain are not
fully understood abroad. There ex-
listed no desire here at the begin
ming of the war for more territory,
and nearly all Englishmen except
ing Imperialist Tories would be
glad to come out of the war with
empty hands.
But to expect Australia to cede
back the islands she took in the
Pacific, which Germany might make
naval bases. or to anticipate that
South Africa will permit Germany to
re-establish herself on the South
African frontier and arm hordes of
natives for another war, is too much
to ask human nature. South Africa
sent troops to the north to remove
the German menace from the Dark
Continent. Her feelings when it is
proposed to hand the colonies she
conquered back to Germany may be
imagined.
The proposal of the Labor party to
( internationalize tropical Africa, where
white man cannot colonize. to put the
center Of the continent under the con-
troll of an international board. is
gaining in favor here. Such a solu-
ton would give Germany, with the
rest of the world, equal commercial
opportunities, and would remove the
threat from South Africa of a military
attack without laying the British en-
pire open to the reproach that it had
emerged from the war with plunder.
| The British government has not COM
mitted itself on these issues further
than to say that the colonies will be
at the disposal of the peace confer
ence.
France to Get Syria.
No part of occupied Turkey is to
go back to the Turk. On that point
all factions here agree. France will
probably get much of Syria. Jeru-
under British or Anglo-French pro-
lection, and Mesopotamia, 1t is gen.
orally supposed, will become British.
There is no desire here to insist
upon this; these territories will be
discussed at the conference, and ]
do not think England would object.
IL her agreements with France could
be dissolved. to any form of effect
i've International control, If the rest
of the world felt so inclined. Fhe
fate OF Armenia is doubtful; 1t would
be an unspeakable tragedy to fail
to redeem this stricken country, but
its borders touch only Russia, and
there seems no way in which Brit
ish armies can at present force
Turkey to grant Armenian independ-
ence.
So much for the contested terri
torial points. All the allies, of
course, are unanimously agreed that
Belgium and France must be evac-