Evening star., 1924-03-02
Why Alsatians Are More French
Ihan the French Themselves

~ STERLING HEILIG.


ernment by France. When this is
brought to the attention Of Alsatians
they observe, invariably:
You should hear what we would
say II they were going to put us
back under government by Ger
many
The truth is, simply, that Alsatians
and the French are trying to settle
questions OF detail that could not
help coming up after so great a
change as that from one kind OF
government to another. Such ques-,
tons were settled very differently,
you may believe. in 1871.
The Office of high commissioner,
in fact (heid originally by Presi-
dent Mtllerand and only now about
to be abolished), was created ex-
pressly to see that Al.atians did not
lose anything by being reunited with
France. For example,:
1. Alsatians had acquired rights
and advantages from German labor
compensation and old age insurance
laws which they ought not to lose.
These have been secured to Alsatian
and Lorraine workmen.
=. Debts and money obligations
remained In German marks These
have been secured at the pre.war
rate of the mark In francs. so that
Alsatians have not suffered from the
tumble of the mark. but have prof
1ted immensely in French money.
This has been an enormous loss to
France. though only justice to AL
satians,
3. This money profit applies also
TO labor and old age insurance.
4. Yet more. Alsace and Lorraine
were under a different system of tax
alton with Germany. And Franco.
after five years. has not completely
adjusted these taxes That is to say.
Alsatians pay taxes which are spent
on their own territory for themselves.
while enjoying all the advantages Of
general French taxation. OF course,
it has been to the disadvantage of
France, which needs all collectable
taxes possible to apply to recon-
struction OF it's devastated regions
Germany refusing to pay reparations
D. Alsace and Lorraine have also
kept their system Of religious public
schools, such as existed in France
when they were annexed by Ger
many in 1871. France. since then,
has changed to purely secular
school system-but she leaves to AL
satians still and again their own old
religious system to which they are
sd much attached.
THIS last month, In fact, when the
German Bishop Of Spdre accused the
. French of trying to make the Rhine
provinces into separate territories
and cited Alsace as an example of
irreligious French rule, the Alsatian
religious authorities published a
sharp answer: Before you talk, come
among us and seen'
6. On the other hand, the potash
mines of Alsace. which the Germans
Kept in strict subordination to their
own. are in full development under
France. So is one Of the rare petro.
leum fields In Europe, at Pechel-
brenn, and SO are the Alsatian
textile and other industries.
oiJ Aisdlidn, lnoeed, Will tell
you that load Is Off his back for
getting on in life. In France he
can become q Judge or a general
or a university professor and hold
all kinds of governmental Jobs, which
were closed to him under GERMANY
And he can manufacture and do
business just like all other French.
men.
In word. the tenderness Of France
for her returning children has thrown
open all French advantages to Al
satians and Lorrainers, while re-
heving them Of all German disad-
Fantases, yet letting them lose no
possible German advantage. Along
with all Of this they now enjoy some
special advantages of their own
their mastery of two Languages,
their large families and the ease with
which they move about all France
and settle down to business.
How, then, is there enough criti-
cizfng talk. even, for the most pa
tient and industrious and ingenious
anti-French propaganda to gather
up and serve to the world as sign
OF Aisatfan dlScontent?
An Alsatian tells me.
I'VE do not like much the French
bureaucrat; but we did not like the
German bureaucrat, either! 1t is our
temperament, like the Irish, to be
tagin' the government. But then, we
have an excuse for ardent tempera-
ment-for Irish temperament. It is
We Alsatians who kept The Watch
on tho Rhine'-kept 1t 1000 years
1t has been nervous job. And, like
the Irish, We are Celts!'
*+x
A LsATIANS are Celts. 1t is the
first thing you will hear in AL
SAGE; and you hear It so continuously
from Alsatians that its very reitera-
tion gives 1t color-that I'VE Al
satians are not Germans but belong
to the great Gaulish or Celtic people,
and 1t IL we who kept tho watch on
the Rhine through the centuriesr'
Tho famous song 10 German-but
1t 10 also modern. It was sung for
the first time at the silver wedding
OF tho old kaiser in 1S54-"when Bis
marck and Moltk were preparing
tho war machine to invade Alsace
once again." rs Hansi. tho Alsatian
painter, recently said in my hearing.
Tho song IL modern and German,
but the watch itself 10 Gaulish and
ancient. Menervai, the historian,
counts thirty-four great Germanic in
vasions Of Gaul, France. Belgium. and
tho first time history speaks Of Al