Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-04
HUNS CERTAIN
TO LOSE ALL
STRATEGIC
LANDS ON
RHINE
Great Mining Region in Saar
Valley Will Be Made Into In
dependent State, Is Plan of
Great Powers.
NO PLEBISClTE NEEDED
FOR ALSACE-L LORRAIME
West Bank of Rhine Not to Be-
long Either to France or Ger
many, Is Plan Devised at the
Peace Conference.
tsv MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED w,pr,


Paris, March 3. (by the Associated
Press "A new map of Europe is
rapidly taking FORM and within a
week the frontiers of the old states
will largely be defined as they are to
appear in the peace treaty and the
successive documents fixing territorial
limits.
First in Importance is Germany's
western frontier bordering on France,
which assumes International signifi-
cance as barrier against renewal OF
the present war. Owing to the issues
involved, final determination of this
question is left to the council of the
great powers but in the meantime the
tentative plans have been well ad-
vanced by the commission which CO.
ordinates reports on all frontier queS-
tions.
AS it now stands. the western from
tier comes under three main heads:
First, Alsace-Lorraine the great iron
Sssa sSa' 'eStea.if - ~ ay.s@sa 3sss
Saar valley, and third the extensive
strip of German territory lying on the
west bank of the Rhine from Pala-
tinate northward
No Plcbiscitc Required.
With respect to Alsace Lorraine the
present tendency is to make recess
sion of this section to France without
any condition of a plebiscte or other
wise. 1t now Is occupied by military
forces under the armistice and there
is every indication that the occupa-
ton will become permanent.
The Briey and Saar valley sections
are chiefly important as furnishing
iron, steel and coal on which Ger
many's military power was based. and
ii is believed that the new line will
definitely put an end to any further
use of these sources OF German power.
Part of the Briey and Saar sections
will become French by the return of
Lorraine. @
Saar Valley Situation.
The main difficulty has been over
a large section of the Saar coal fields
living beyond Lorraine and within Ger
man territory The present idea
seems to be somewhat between an
nexation of that section and leaving
it to Germany According to this
plan the northern Saar region would
be neither Frendh nor German, but
would occupy a position somewhat
similar to the District of Columbia
among the American states.
Its productive capacity would
doubtless go to France, but politically
it's three hundred thousand inhabi-
tants would not be subject to con
scription or military service either to
France or Germany, and would not
elect delegates to the legislative body
of either country.
This and other measures are being
considered with the object of "steril-
izing" the region so that Germany
could not by sudden inrush again
turn it's production to war uses,
West Bank of Rhine.
Concerning the region along the
west bank of the Rhine the present
tendency is toward the same form of
sterilization" which would render
this impotent for German military
uses. without giving it a definite po-
litical status toward either side, This
probably would be accomplished by
the same means. as in the Saar region, |
by making the inhabitants indepen-
dent of conscription or military serv-
ice to either side and without legis- /
lative representation except some
local form of self administration.
This, on broad lines, is the present
plan, which, however, is only tenta-
tive, pending final action by the coun-
ell of the great powers.
The plans relative to other from
tiers, including those of the new
Czecho- -Slovakia, Rumania, Serbia
and Greece and to the expected ac-
uuisition in Thrace and Asia Minor
are also nearing completion.