The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-08
ATTITUDE OF LEAGUE
Continued From Page One


the Rhine.
In the first place, the French are
quietly but steadily permitting Ger
man residents of Lorraine. especially
In Metz, to depart with their goods.
chattels and families. 1t 10 safe to
say that Germans who do net aNau
themselves of this permission are
urged 10 do so. Urged is perhaps a
mild term.
The reason for this is apparent
enough. If at any time plebiscite
should be determined upon to decide
the will of the people of Lorraine to-
ward. self .dterm knaiion. il would be in
49, - a ~ A-1..--.-l 4 aet>4fdks
many Germans at the polling places.
The Germans used the same method
when they took possession or Lorraine
in 1871. They asked the French to
leave. and enough Of them left to give
preponderant German cant to the
population. The French feel that
they are entitled to the same thing.
DEPORTATION HARSH TERM.
But because deportation Is a harsh
term and may be misunderstood by
certain altrusists sitting at the peace
table. they are doing II quietly. II
you go to Metz without French pass
port. you go out again and stand not
on the order OF your going. A French
military policeman looks at your ere
dentials, and IL they are not signed by
Foch or some one else in high author
ity. he says, Pas bon: allez!"
You "allez" because the French M.
p. has a rifle and vast latitude in his
discretion to use It.
Our outfit. all civilians, got into
Metz In the night. after a ride of
twelve hours. during which no food
was to he had along the way. we
were stopped at the entrance OF the
town by an NJ p. He told It's firmly
but politely that we had better turn
right around and go right out again.
We needed gasoline and beds and.
he sympathized with US and hoped
we would find all those things at Thi-
onville, fifty kilometres or thereabouts
further along
BY dint of much argument we man
aged to persuade the NJ T. to take us
az far as the Office Of his sergeant.
who disposed of our case finally,
We could 20 10 Thionville II we
wanted to. We couldn't stay in Metz,
not even for gasoline. And to Thion-
Vile we went. getting there just as the
last drop Of gas dripped into. the car
buretor
There are many other mysterious
ways in which the French move their
operations 10 perform. one OF which
shows that they are not particularly
eager about American companionship
In the occupied territory To explain
his In detail would however. be to
give military information. This In
formation is, OF course. already in pos
session of the Germans, but peace Will
not be here till It is signed In Paris.
and II may be next autumn before
Am ericans are permitted TO know
everything that is transpiring along
the Rhine. A little freedom of the
cables would clear up this and many
other matters which will remain nys-
teries far too long.
Nor Is seemingly needless restriction
laid on the press concerning many
commonplace matters which every
doughboy will discuss when he re-
turns, but the censorship is so rigid
hat the most ordinary and harmless
matter Is held up. For example:
Montague Glass went to France to
write Potash and Perimutter articles
about the peace conference. which
articles are now beginning TO appear
in the New York American.
Mr.. Glass certainly wrote nothing
hat was calculated to influence public
| opinion adversely to America or her
| allies AZ he is n highly patriotic
American citizen and a deep sympa-
| thizer with France.
| But for some rea known only to
| The French censor his articles, which
| he mailed, did not get to the United
| States, though regular mail was going
! forward every day and making the
| trip in from eleven TO twenty days.
| All or most of the regular mail was
opened and in some cases censored.
but nevertheless it was tspatched.
! Mr. Glass articles, all good natured
and clever satire, and all friendly to
| the French and to the allies. did not
go. And If you 9Hn discover the rea-
son why you can discover more than
I have been able to about the mystery
Of the censorship.
What About Hun Prisoners?
What is to be done with the Ger
| man prisoners is another matter
which the peace makers in Paris do
not seem to have considered. There
! are upwards of half million of these
| prisoners in France, all Of them well
| fed and seemingly contented, You
| see them at work on orr own docks
| in Brest and In great squads on the
roads behind and near the devastated
district They wear their army coats.
dVeu TO q brfgnt green, ann green IN
tieue caps. so that they could be easily
distinguished II they attempted to get
away.
Now the French in all seriousness
propose to keep these German prison
ers at work az long as they live.
did not hear this proposal made by
either the premier or the foreign min
| lister but heard 1t from many French
officers and French officials.
TT will be one way to help pay the
indemnity" said French cavalry coll
oneL I'VE shall treat them kindly
and feed them we'll, but we must not
let them go. not ever"
Now this may be and doubtless Is
poetic Justice, but 1t Is also very much
like slavery. And the sooner - is
brought to the attention OF the peace
council the better 1t will be. For the
French people are beginning to- be de-
lighted with the idea and will be very
much disappointed II they learn OF a