Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-06-09
GREAT FALLS DAILY TRIBUNE .:
THE NEW REPUBLIC OF THE RHINE

Inc announcement OF a new IepuDlC COlApii 10
ing the Rhenish province very plainly had its
origin in French instigation, instead OF being
spontaneous. The organization and proclama-
tion had it's origin at Mayence which IS held by
the French troops under Gen. Mangln. 1t names
as it's capital Coblenz which the American army
is holding. It includes also territory the British
army is holding. The Americans and British
have taken strictly neutral attitude toward the
new organization, combining themselves to the
position that they will permit political violence
or turmoil from any faction in the country they
are policing. But the American army will not
be long in Germany we expect or the British
army either. From such meager reports as we
get from the Rhine country we conclude that the
new republic is decidedly unpopular among the
inhabitants of that country who would make
short work of it if left to themselves. Berlin
charges that it was instigated by the French
officers at Mayence and is upheld by them alone
The evidence we have points to the correctness
of the German charge. This splitting OF the
Rhine provinces off from Germany is not new
proposition by any means. It has been cherished
in France for more than half century When
Napoleon III declared war against Germany IN
1870 he announced one of his war aims to be
making the Rhine the border between Germany
and France Instead Of doing that he lost Alsace-
Lorraine to France and his throne at the same
time. But the idea of keeping Germany on the
right bank of the Rhine did not die out in France
even after their utter defeat at Sedan Among
the secret treaties published by the bolsheviks
when they gained possession Of the diplomatic
archives at ST. Petersburg was a treaty between
France and the cars government which pro-
4o
Lorraine back again at the close of a successful
campaign against Germany, but she was to have
"a special position in the Saar valley" and she
was also promised the detachment from Ger
many of the territories west of the Rhine, and
their reorganization in such a way that IN the
future the Rhine may form permanent stra-
tegic obstacle to any German advance BY the
peace treaty she gets Asace-Lorralne and
special position in the Saar valley. The alleged
revolution in the Rhine provinces, and their or
ganizaton as an independent nation separate
from Germany would give her the part Of the
secret Russian treaty she failed to realize, and
complete her plans and ambitions of many years.
If the French started this movement for an
Independent Rhenish republic as we are pretty
we'll convinced they did, they are simply copying
German methods in Belgium. When the Ger
mans occupied Belgium they tried hard to cause
a split between the Flemings and Walloon ele
ment in Belgium and organize Flemish state
that would be under the influence Of Germany
and antagonstic to France The efforts OF the
Germans to brbe and budoze the Flemings into
this scheme had small success, though few
treacherous and greedy persons fell in with it.
They took care to leave the country with the
retreatinp Germans however and it is quite
new Rhenish republic would leave with the
French army if it was retreating from the coun-
try. 1t is rather singular and impressive to see
how little is learned by the statesmen and diplo-
mats from a study of history, and how prone
they are to repeat their bunders. Germany
Lorraine, and was ready to add half dozen
similar problems to it's government if it had won
s1he Yar as may be seen by the terms of its peace
treaty with Russia And France is keen to copy
the blunders of Germany in France and Belgium.
~ Probably it is not solely desire to annex and
govern German citizens, or yet to weaken Ger
many by splitting up her population into small
units that actuates France. For fifty years she
has lived in constant fear Of German invasion,
not without good cause, and it appeals to her
with singular force to put a broad river not
easily crossed between her and Germany as a
strategic defense. That accounts largely for her
desire to control in some way the left bank of
the Rhine. Any Rhensh republic separated
from Germany by the river Rhine would natur-