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

ible. In 1874, they protested in the
Reichstag against the annexation
made against their will, and by which
they had been handed over to Ger
many like mere cattle"
During AZ years the protest of AL
sace-Lorraine never ceased to make
! itself heard in various ways. On the
eve of the present war, when the
Sabarn incidents took place a Prus-
sian officer could say that the Ger
man army in Alsace was practically
in enemy country. Since the begin
ming of the war hundreds of sentences
have been passed by German judges
on Alsatians, whose guilt was to have
expressed their French feelings.
To agree to plebiscite under such
circumstances would not only amount
to cancelling the repeated protesta-
tons of 1871, 1914 and of all times.
1t would be equivalent to a declara-
ton that our right has become null
and void. 1t would amount to ad-
hitting that the treaty of Frankfort
is still valid, and it would vindicate
Germany's action when in 1871 she
violated the right of peoples to dis
pose of themselves. 1t is because of
this right that the method of the pie
biscite cannot be accepted.
The protest, which never ceased
since 1871, establishes the fact of AL
sace-Lorraine's UNMARRIED desire to be-
long to France. France feels certain
that, should a plebiscite be taken, the
result would be in her favor. But we
must not forget that there are in AL
sace-Lorraine 100000 Immigrant"
that is to say, German settlers, many
of whom have been sent there as Of
ficials of the German Empire; they
no doubt, would declare for the en-
durance of German rule.
Let us suppose that, instead of
100000 Germany had sent to Alsace-
Lorraine 1000 900 immigrants Let us
suppose that she had turned out a
part of the population, or destroyed it
by such massacres as her Turkish dis
| ciples are now perpetrating in Ar
menia; what would then happen if a
plebiscite were taken? Would the
right of peoples to dispose of them
selves make it imperative to sanction
by vote, the result of which, in such
circumstances, would be foregone
conclusion, the crime Germany COM
mitted in 1871?
1t is therefore impossible, from the
point of view of morality as we'll as
from that of legality-if the right Of
peoples to dispose of themselves be
adhered toto make the restoration
of Alsace-Lorraine to France condi
tional on the taking of a plebiscite
Would Not Work
But let us now for a moment admit
that, by a concession which is really
an impossible one, France were tt
consent to plebiscite. We declare
that it could not work in practice
4 First of all there would be conditions
of time to settle-when should the
plebiscite take place? Would it be
when the country is still occupied by
German armes; or how long after the
occupation by the French? Or would
it be under the guarantees of neu
trails? In each case the consequence
would be to lay the two province.
open to every kind of electoral con
test, which would be the more seriou.
because the question this time would
not be of a choice between individuals
but between conditions which would
decide the fate of the whole commu
nifty.
| German propaganda would be ram
pant. The threats which often weigh
ed so heavily on those populations
and paralyzed their political lif'
would unavoidably react upon thu
people. Would not both French anC
) German governments be led to thu
) making of promises, the giving O
more or less official pledges, to influ
ence the vote? And would the ques
, ton of right, under such conditions
| remain in full light before the people
! concerned?
} Then-and this is more importan
: who would be entitled to vote? TIL
: register unfortunately, could, not in
: clude those who, having enlisted il
) the French army, gave their lives 70
3 the cause of Alsace-Lorraine. But onl,
r the genuine Alsatians and Lorrainer
= of 1871 and their offspring, including
S the hundreds of thousands who hav
left the country since and because i
= was annexed to Germany, should TAX
} part in the plebiscite. Under no cir
e cumstances could the immigrants b.
admitted to vote.
/. Would such a although
e the only one that would be morall
/ admissable-finally settle the disput
n between France and Germany?
Therefore it must be concluded tina
= the plebiscite is not only inacceptabl
= in principle but also impossible il
= practice.
n Those who might persist in object
e ing that the right of peoples to dis
S pose of themselves cannot be vindi
d Gated by any other method, must b
e reminded that the inhabitants of AL
y SAGE and Lorraine have unceasingl
e expressed their feelings. Since 1877
o there has been, SO to speak, an unin
4 terrupted plebiscite. The popuIatio
e of Alsace-Lorraine has constantly re
= fused to accept the treaty of Frank
t, font. We only state actual facts whe
It we say that the case of Alsace-Lor
: raine is the same as that OF our invad