raine was German up to the seventeenth century,
and inhabited by German stock, cannot be brought forward today, after
more than 200 years, to justify the retaking of those provinces by the
Germans. The whole world would be in a state of continual warfare if
nations claimed provinces or States that belonged to them once upon a
time. Richelieu's idea was that the Rhine was the natural and
geographical frontier between France and Germany, and the war was
undertaken to carry out that plan. Since then the inhabitants have
become French, and the attempts to re-Germanize them have proved futile.
Prof. Francke may well doubt if the acquisition of these provinces was a
fortunate thing for Germany. It was undoubtedly the most unfortunate
thing not only for Germany but for France and the rest of Europe, for it
kept open a wound which might have been healed either by a return of the
lost provinces, with or without compensation, or by granting them
autonomy, or, better still, by leaving it to the inhabitants to choose
for themselves, as France did with Nice and Savoy.

The ruthless methods of a Bismarck are no longer of this age. They are
too odious, and the human conscience revolts at them. What a
preposterous idea, in this twentieth century, to compel by force
millions of people to renounce their traditions and even their
language! If Great Britain had followed the same method in dealing with
the French Canadians, instead of loyal subjects she would have made
rebels of them all.

It is neither right nor just nor truthful to say that Germany has done
her best during the last four decades to heal the wounds struck by her
to French national pride. On the contrary, Germany's attitude has been
all along one of studied provocation; and if the instances already
mentioned are not sufficient, many others could be added.

Germany abetted French colonial expansion. Well, by what right should
she have opposed it? And if she yielded to France in Morocco, it was
only after France had given Germany part of her African possessions
rather than go to war with her.

It will be news to the world to be informed that there can be no
reasonable doubt that the people of Alsace-Lorraine have been gradually
settling down to willing co-operation with the German administration.
Certainly such a statement is in violent contradiction with all we hear
and read and know of the state of mind, the feelings, and aspirations of
the inhabitants of those two provi