Evening star., 1924-09-06
ALSACE SK|TT|SH
AT Church POLICY
Regained Province Has Own
Views of French Proposals
agt
of Law Changes.

Reports of dissatisfaction in parts
of AlSace over the suggested opera
tion of French laws relating to
churches do not raise pro-German
or pro-French questions, but rather
emphasize the outstanding spirit of
independence that is possessed by
both Alsatians and Lorrainers, ac-
cording to a bulletin from the Ma
tional Geographic Society.
Living in a border-land, the peo-
pie of Alsace and Lorraine have de-
veloped an Independent spirit not
unlike that of the Swiss" says the
bulletin. They are admittedly a
mixture of both Gallic and Alemannic
stocks. Studies of head measure
ments have shown this. But their
language set them apart almost like
separate little nations. The speech
of the great majority of Alsatians is
a German dialect, but it is almost as
meaningless to the ears of a Berliner
as is French. In Lorraine a French
patois is widely spoken, but it is an
alien tongue to the Partisan.
Wanted Own Tongue.
THE independence of the people has
shown itself in regard to the lam
Suage question under both French
and German regimes. - Before 1871
some more or less desultory efforts
at the compulsory teaching of French
in the schools of Alsace were COM
bated. as were the intensive efforts
to force the use of modern German
after that date.
$50, too, the Alsation has evidenced
his independence by insisting on re-
tanning his own religion, whatever
the attitude of his sovereign country
of the moment. When France held
AIsace and Lorraine before 1871
priests and pastors opposed the teach
ing of French because of opposition
to the French literature of the day.
In 1872 the religious leaders found
themselves in opposition to the Ger
man government over the suppress
sion of religious schools, and today
the same people insist to the French
just as vigorously on retention of
their religious privileges.
Cross-RoadS Countries.
THE geographical position of AL
SAGE and Lorraine has largely deter
mined their development and that of
their people. They have been cross
roads as well as border countries
since Roman days. The Rhine, great
traffic artery of Europe farther north,
has always been a barrier where it
even part-y2ar navigation was i'm
possible along this stretch of the
river. South of Strasburg the Rhine
had labyrinth of courses, sprawling
over wide valley, and creating in
flood time broad region of morasses.
The neighborhood of Strasburg af-
forded the only good crossing place,
and this fact contributed to the i'm
portance of that city.
81 "The low, unhealthy. useless valley
Of the Rhine along Alsaces eastern
border, together with the barren ma
ture of the bench land inland from
the river, condemned this eastern
strip of Alsace to almost complete
desertion. Even today this Rhine
land plain is sparsely settled. The
thriving cities of Alsace are situated
in zone from 10 to IL miles inland
from the Rhine in the parallel valley
of the Ill, or slightly westward along
the Vosges foothills. Even Strasburg
is not true Rhine city. 1t was built
on the Ill where hte latter flows .
or miles west of the Rhine, but
in recent years the city has grown
eastward until it touches the larger
stream.
City's Name Tells Story.
AT Strasburg highways converge
from across the Vosges hills. geo
graphical factors which helped to
foreordain the growth of an impor-
tant city at this Rhine crossing.
Strasburg's name itself tells the
story, for it means City OF Roads
I'm addition to the plain along the
Rhine, Alsace includes the eastern
slope of the Vosges. Along the foot
hills grapes grow to perfection and
the region is one of the important
wine-producing countries of Europe.
Lorraine differs from Alsace both
In environment and type of popula-
aion. In fact, there is little to group
these two areas for political admin
istration save that together they al
most completely fill the gap between
Germany and France. Lorraine is a
plateau, cooler than the lower Alsa-
tian plain, and given over, so far as
dts agriculture is concerned, largely
to pastures and cattle raising. The
people, not so isolated from France
as the Alsatians, have somewhat
closer affiliations with Latin culture.
Many Textile Factories.
Industry has claimed considerable
areas of both Alsace and Lorraine
from their old paths of agriculture
Textile factories are concentrated
chiefly in southern Alsace and in
some of the Vosges valleys. The pre-
dominant industry in Lorraine is
metallurgy. Near the Luxembourg
frontier are coal deposits and beds of
iron ore, the latter the largest in
Europe.
1.-The coal is in the famous Saar
Basin. All about this region are con-
centrated populations of miners and
metal workers. Alsace has no iron
or coal, but near Mulhausen it pos
sesses potash deposits exceeded in
value only by those of northern Ger
many. These two deposits constitute
practically the world supply of this
indispensable fertilizer ingredient"