New-York tribune., 1918-10-25
aspirations of the American people in
this war we leave it to our readers to
decide.
How France Lost Alsace-Lorraine

Speaking of the Franco Prussian War
The Nes0 York American said yester-
day: "France-or rather her besotted
Emperor, Napoleon Ill--was the ag-
gressor in that disastrous war, just as
the German military autocracy was the
aggressor in this inexpiabIe war"
We're The American's readers expect
ed to draw the inference that France,
having been the aggressor in 1870, was
justly punished in losing Alsace-Lor-
raine?
1t is very superficial view Of history
which puts the responsibility for the
war of 1870 wholly or even largely on
France. Napoleon Ill blundered into
hostilities with Prussia. He paid the
penalty for his folly by losing his
throne. But he was throughout the dupe
Of Bismarck's willy, burrowing diplo-
macy. Prussia had long been seeking an
occasion TO force France into war. Bis
marck and Moltke had carefully pre-
pared for such contingency Their ap-
whetted by the easy victories won over
Denmark, in 1864 and over Austria and
the smaller German states in 1866. They
had cold-bloodedly planned q raid on
France which should e..rend the western
boundary of Germany from the Rhine to
the Vosges.
Prussian policy under Bismarck, as
under Frederick the Great and under
William II, was one Of military spolia-
tiorY. AS state Prussia has been built
on forcible annexatons. Napoleon III
was himself not averse to wars of con-
quest. But he was a sentimentalist and
dilettante compared with the "blood.
and-iron" expansionists who ruled in
Berlin. He made the great m;rtake Of
his career when he failed to support
Austria and the South German states
against Prussia in 1866. He was like the
poor cat in the adage-he wanted to, but
couldn't bring himself to take the risk
Thereafter he and France were marked
down in Bismarck's account book as
Prussia's next victims.
The dispute over the candidacy Of
Hohenzollern prince for the succession to
the Spanish crown was only trick of
Bismarck's to draw Napoleon into the
Prussian net. The French government
went too far in its protests, and Bis
marck published garbled version Of the
famous Ems telegram and of the King
of Prussia's snub to Benedetti in order
to fire Prussia and entangle France.
The vain and foolish French Emperor
fell for the bait and the French Parlia-
ment declared war. But the real inciter
of the war was the Iron Chancellor. who
knew how unprepared the French we're
and who had discounted Prussia's
speedy triumph.
Alsace and Lorraine we're not taken
away from France because France rash
ly attacked Prussia. Prussia welcomed
the French "attack" She had plotted
for it and had counter attack already
worked out. She coveted Alsace and
Lorraine and merely wanted a pretexc
for sezing them.
They have been German territory for
forty-seven years--in the empire. but
not of it. Yet they have never accepted
the German yoke. They are still French
in soul and spirit. Their return to
France is a moral igation-obscured
in no way by the fact that France. on
the face of the record, declared a war of
Prussias seeking Frances present
claim to the Lost Provinces does not rest
on technicalities. 1t is based on the
whole history of those provinces since
the German occupation. 1t rests on the
wishes and attachments Of people who
are nonGerman in character and aspi-
rations and who now look forward to re-
union with France as a release from
forty-seven years of savery-to Ger
man Kultur and mlitarism,