El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-12
FRENCH CLAIMS
MUST Be ME-
Question of Alsace- Lorraine
Is One for the World,
One of Right.
By ". ALBERT THOMAS,
The Great French Socialist Leader
and Ex-Minister Of Munitions

Paris. France, Feb. 12.-Alsace-
Lorraine must be restored TO France
as one OF the conditions OF peace at
the conclusion Of this war. This
Is the demand OF the Socialists OF
France and Of all French people
am speaking now solely for the So
cialists, however.
What the French Socialists say.
The right Of France to Alsace-Lor-
raine remains unaltered; It was in
violation Of the right OF peoples 20
self determination that Alsace-Lor-
rains was wrenched from France; the
treaty OF Frankfort, to Which France
had 10 submit. has been torn 70 pieces
by Germany's own will in 1915 the
document BY which AIsace-Lorraine
was surrendered to Germany has now
been destroyed; the right OF France
remains immutable; therefore Alsace-
Lorraine must come back to France
But French Socialists further ada
| land this may have misled our British
/ friends) 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 10
agree, after Alsaee-Lorraine has re-
I sumed her place IN the French com
| munity, 10 a consultation OF the popu-
lations there, under the control OF the
l league OF nations. What Is proposed
here Is not a plebisclte which would
/ decide whether Alsace-Lorraine would
return to France or not. but consul
/ tation after the event, BY which me
/ Inhabitants Of Alsaee-Lorraine viii
declare II they wish TO be French
again
Why do French and Alsatians, In
this special case OF Alsace-Lorraine
L. H. a a-Hn 81
place in spite OF their claim for the
peoples Of the right to dispose OF
themselves?
The reason is a simple one The
question Is not 70 give a population
the right for the first time TO decide
4 It's own fate II was in 1871 that the
| right OF the peoples 10 dispose o.
themselves was violated The mes
characteristics feature Of the French
nation is her complete unity, and th'
fact that all the populations o.
} France have unquesrionably ex'
pressed their desire 70 belong &c III
French community No people IN tn'
world has attained 70 such absolut'
unity, such as homogeneous nationa
structure While Great Britain show
10 the world the finest realization
OF the imperial idea. France IS m
very example and prototype OF tn
In 1880. after the alternative
changes which had made Aisace an'
Lorraine now French. now German
territories. the LoFrainers and thi
Alsatians, on the great day OF IN
federation, solemnly declared their
resolution TO be part OF the Frencl
national. At Strasburg. Mulhouse an'
in other Alsatian towns, the peopli
showed BY stirring demonstration
how enthusiastically they proclaime'
their French nationality During IN
18th century. no separatise tendency
ever found any expression in Alsaci
or in Lorraine In 1871. when th'
two provinces were violently taker
from France, the Inhabitants raised
before the Bordeaux assembly NOV.
ing protest, in which they declared
that. should even centuries pass, theil
right to be French would remain in
defensi5le- IN 1874, they protested j