Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-19
AlSACE. MAYsTARE
| PLEA 10 LEAGUE
Movement for Autonomy In
likely to Receive Consider
cation HoMever.
A rs Associated press

~ TIDE Associated Press.
tsIsNEVA, July 19.-Leaders Of
the recent unsuccessful movement
in Aisace. Lorraine to obtain auton-
dfly for the recovered French
provinces may, it is believed In some
quarters in Alsace. take their cause
before the League of Nations. That
there is a certain amount of sentl.
r1ent in this direction among these
leaders was learned by q STAFF corre-
spondent Of The Associated Press
who has just made tour Of the dis
tricts.
Reference of the matter to the
league presumably would be fought
vigorously by France, while league
efficials say that even IL any petition
reaches Geneva, it would not be acted
on and would not even be circulated
among league members, since France
never signed d minority treaty con-
corning Alsace.
In official quarters of the league
the Alsatian claims are regarded as
Fundamentally POLITICAL since no
proof has been forthcoming that the
provinces are being Disseminated
against from the standpoint of race,
religion or law.
Many Are Punished.
Although the recent manifesto,
c0uched in violent terms and signed
by some residents. of Alsace- Lorraine,
has been described simply as a synip.
tom of growing pair" 1t was serious
enough to warrant swift action by
the French government. or those
who signed the document calling for
autonomy, 21-most of them state
employees of various kindS-wefe de-
pFived of their posts or barred from
their professions. Twelve clereymen
signed the manifesto, but they were
not punished because this would have
involved diplomatic negotiations with
Rome.s
The leader of the autonomy move.
ndent was >the vice president OF the
local Parliament. when Alsace and
lorraine were under German rule.
The ofgaHizefs formed q League Of
the Fatheriand.n Their manifesto de-
clared that. the hour was grave fer
Alsace. Lorraine. that the territory had
heen subjected to systematic .spolia.
ton at the hands of France for the
past seven years. that their rights
were tfampled under foot and their
customs. traditions and liberties de-
stroyed
The manifesto called for the forma-
ton of a national minority and de-
nianded complete autonomy within
the framework of France This lat
ter phrase was inserted at the request
of the majority of the signers. A
legislative assembly with its seat at
Strassburg was called for, 1t was
insisted further that German should
be the principal language taught
school children and not French.
Although this manifesto did not call
for a complete separation from France
In many cities the correspondent found
the conviction that the movement for
autonomy was intended as a step to-
ward complete separation.
Protest Punishment.
The disciplinary measures taken by
the government brought out a sec
olid manifesto. much milder In tone.
All three political parties. Catholic,
Socialist and Radical, condemned the
original manifesto. although the Raal-
Gals expressed approval OF ADMINS.
trative decentralization so that Aisace
and Lorraine could conduct their eywh
affairs.
Charges that funds for support OF
the movement originated in Germany
were made by Gen. BourgeeHs, the
noted Alsation. On the other hand,
tire Catholics and Mulh0use protested
AGAINST the penalties inflicted on the
pigners of the manifesto:
The second manifesto disavowed any
Intention of launching separatist
movement, repudiated accusations
that the autonomy movement WAS
sustained by funds from outside OF
France and was preliminary to re-
annexation of the territory by Ger
many.
I'VE have been treated like criIni-
nails merely because we were demand
ing for Alsace- Lorraine eonstitu-
tionaI regime similar to that accorded
by Germany" the manifesto says.
1--WE are certain France will realize
that our legitimate claims cannot be
stified by violence and that the
French people will be convinced that
they have misunderstood our true
intensions"