The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-12-25
WHERE CUSTOMS ARE
STRONGLY DEFENDED
Alsace-Lorraine Stubbornly
Opposes Any Changes.

lating to churches, do not raise pro-
German or pro-French questions bu.
rather emphasize the outstanding spiras.
Of independence that is possessed by
both Alsatians and Lorrainers, accord
ing to bulletin from the Washing
ton headquarters of the National
Geographic society.
Living in a border land, the peo-
pie of Alsace and Lorraine have
developed an independent spirit not
unlike that of the SWISS" says the
bulletin. "They are admittedly mix
ture of both Gallo and Alemannic
stocks. Studies Of head measure
ments have shown this. But their
languages set them apart almost like
separate little nations. The speech
Of the great majority Of Alsatians is
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.
1.-The independence Of the people has
showed itself IN regard to the lam
guage 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 Alsatian has evidenced
his independence by insisting on re-
tanning his OWL religion, whatever the
attitude Of his sovereign country of
the moment. When France held AL
SAGE and Lorraine before 1871. priests
and pastors opposed the teaching of
French because of opposition to the
French literature of the day. In 1872
the religious leaders found them
selves in opposition to the German
government over the suppression of
religious schools; and today the same
people insist to the French just as
vigorously on retention of their re-
ligious privileges.
"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
skirts Alsace. Until recent years even
part-year navigation was impossible
along this stretch of the river. South
of Strasburg the Rhine had LADY,
rinth of courses, sprawling over a
wide valley. and creating in flood
time broad region of morasses.
1.-THE low, unhealthy, useless val
ley of the Rhine along Alsace's east
ern border, together with the barren
nature Of the bench-land inland from
the river, condemned this eastern
strip of Alsace to almost complete de-
sertion. Even today this Rhineward
plain is sparsely settled. The thriv-
ing cities of Alsace are situated in a
zone from ten to twelve miles inland
from the Rhine in the parallel valley
Of the Ill or slightly westward along
the Vosges foothills. Even Strasburg
is not a true Rhine city. 1t was built
on the III where the latter flows two
or three miles west Of the Rhine, but
in recent years the city has grown
eastward until 1t touches the larger
stream.
"At Strasburg highways converge
from across the Vosges hills, geograph-
ical factors which helped to foreOr-
dain the growth of an important city
at this Rhine crossing. Strasburg's
name itself tells the story, for it
means City of Roads,
Mineral Wealth Important.
'In 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 reproducing countries of Europe.
Lorraine differs from Alsace both
in environment and type of popula-
ton. 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 Asa
tan plain and given over, so far as
its agriculture is concerned, largely
to pastures and cattle raising. The
people, not so isolated from France
as the Alsatians, have somewhat clos
er affiliations with Latin culture.
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 predomi-
nant industry in Lorraine is metal
iurgy. Near the Luxembourg frontier
are coal deposits and beds of iron ore
the latter the largest in Europe. The
coal is in the famous Saar basin. All
about this region are concentrated
of miners and metal work
ers. Alsace has no iron or coal, but
near Mulhausen it possesses potash
deposits exceeded in value only by
those of northern Germany. These
two deposits constitute practically
the world supply of this indispensa-
BILE fertilizer ingredient"