ALSACE-LORRAINE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 36, 11 August 1914, Page 7

ALSACE-LORRAINE

. Alsace-Lorraine formed the territorial prize which Germany gained, in addition to the coflosal war indemnity of over £200,000,000, after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71. It is composed of the old French province of Alsace, with its capital, Strasburg, and German Lorraine, of which the capital town and fortress, is Metz. From a very early period Alsace was a debated territory j it was the scene of feuds and contentions even in the days of the Roman Empire. Its name, in fact, became a synonym for debateable ground, and in the seventeenth century the. district of Whitefi'iars in London, between the Thames and Fleet-street, much used as a sanctuary by debtors and criminals, was commonly known as Aleatia. But its importance in modern European politics dates now from the time it was handed over to Germany. It suffered much during the war. It was the scene of many of the earlier battles } Strasburg, and other towns were besieged and taken, and its people were very hardly dealt with by the conquerors. As soon as they gained possession of the districts, the Germans imposed upon them their rule, re-stafiLng the railways, introducing German stamps, and garrisoning the towns with ( their reserves. GocJds were requisitioned and paid for with' cheques left open to be paid by the conquered after the war. Though the people were largely German in blood, they bitterly resented the Ger-* man invasion, and fought most stubbornly. But the cession of the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to Germany was one of the first conditions of peace, and it was gyanted in spite of protests from the people most concerned. Germany endeavoured, with much success, to conciliate the new citizens of the Empire, but there were many who still stood out against the change. By 30th September, 1872, the people were required to declare their minds ; and on that day 45,000 Alsatians took the final step to retain their French nationality, and trooped over the new frontier into France. A large part of the population still cherishes an active distaste for the German sovereignty forced upon them. Akace is chiefly a farming country, much o* it highly fertile. Lorraine is less rich agriculturally, but possesses considerable mineral wealth, iron, coal, and salt being mined. The total population of , Aliacfi-Lormne in 1905 wu 1,8i4,625.