The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-01-31
THE PUZZLE OF ALsACE-LOR-
VAINE


thousand square miles. In its &C.
oeraphical position IL is a part Of
the valley Of the Rhine and lies
wholly within,it. For the most part
level, the land slopes from the noun
tains on the west, whose height Is
five thousand feet, TO the river along
which IL is swampy and low.
Though small, the territory is
thickly populated with nearly two
million people, living on the small
farms, or in villages or cities like
Strassburg with its 10000 inhabi-
tants. II is a part of the German
empire that is rich i'm resources,
agricultural, mineral and manufac-
turing. Especially important are
the deposits Of iron and coal, which
are not surpassed in Germany.
This little piece Of country has
always been a ground Of couten-
ton between the groups Of people
living on either side of it, In the
olden time of the Roman Empire IL
was a part Of the Province Of Gaul
which Caesar conquered, and was
inhabited by Celtic tribes. In the
fourth and fifth centuries il was con-
quered by the Franks, a branch of
the Germanic people, and made a
part Of that great empire over which
Charlemagne ruled. With the de-
cline Of his empire and rise of Feud-
alism IL became practically indie
pendent but owed a nominal allie
glance 20 the medieval empire that
existed as a shadow for so many
centuries.
France began, her career as a ma
ton earlier than Germany and by
the fourteenth century east longing
eyes on Alsace-Lorraine. The great
wars of the sixteenth century when
Germany was torn by the struggle
Of Protestant with Catholic gave
France the desired opportunity and
under her king Henry II she secur-
ed several places in Lorraine which
gave her practical control Of il,
in return for aid 10 the Professionals.
Alsacc was added at the end of the
wars. Gradually the theory grew
mp that the natural boundary Of
France was not the mountain range
but rather was the Rhine river, and
10 was the effort Of subsequent rul-
crs 10 make that boundary real
Louis XIV, the great monarch CfI
France, who brought his country
10 a position in Europe beyond any
10 had held before. established the
French control IN Msace-Lorraine
and made the Rhine the eastern
boundary Of France in its upper
part. The French language and
customs were extended over the
country i'm face Of considerable op-
position, each century making the
process more perfect. Thus Alsace-
LORRAINE became French
I'm 1870 an opportunity came for
Germany TO get possession Of Al
sacr-Lorraine once more. Now she
was not a shadowy empire but
strong under the leadership Of prus-
sia. The German Emperor, viii .
liam-L and his Chancellor Won Bis
mark provoked war with the vain
and ambitious French monarch. Nat
polcon III. Alsace-Lorraine was the
center Of many Of the hardest battles
Of the Franco-prussian War, and at
its close tse baily defeated French
were obliged to give il up.
Since that time II has been ad- .
ministcred as a territory Of the Ger
man Empire under the authority OF /
the Emperor himself.
Just as the French had made IL
French so the Germans made il Ger
man by compelling the German
language TO be used in the schools,
the courts, and other places. The
resistance was great, and Germany
in 1872 compelled the population
TO decide whether they would be
under French or German control.
At this time many thousands of
French people left the country. The
present German Chancellor. in his
recent address To the Reichstagg
said that sixty-eight per cent Of
the population is German.
What is the solution of this prob
lem? Germany says she will not
consider a peace that will give up
Alsace-LoIraine. France says she
must have il. Ever since the war
in which il was lost. there has been
in Paris a statue symbolic Of Alsace-
Lorraine. always draped in black,
until the opening Of the present
war. England and the United States
say that Alsace-Lorraine must be
returned Do France TO make good the