GERMANY AND ALSACE LORRAINE
SIR,—The article on "The Problem of Prussia" by H. Sinsheimer, published in your issue of November 14th, has just come to my notice. Why does Mr. Sinsheimer drag Alsace into his suggested plan of a remodelled Germany? By bracketing Alsace with any part of Germany (Prussian or non-Prussian) Mr. Sinsheimer betrays a German mentality, for the incorporation of Alsace and Lorraine has always been the aim of every German throughout the nineteenth century; the wealth of those two provinces was the attraction, not any fancied racial affinity, and today Alsace (and Lorraine) is still claimed for the same reason, though under a different pretext.
It is evident that Mr. Sinsheimer has no real knowledge of Alsace, or else he would not dare (though but timidly) to split the province Into two parts. The dialects spoken in Alsace have nothing whatever to do with the political sentiments of the inhabitants. Everyone bred and born from native stock hates and abhors all Germans, whether they hail from the North, South, East or West of the Reich, and the mere suggestion of a " possible " absorption of our homeland by (amongst others) the Rhineland fills us with loathing. For who would not feel defiled by the mere idea of coming into contact with People of a district which gave birth to such a trio of criminals as the Gar Goebbels, the forger Ribbentrop, and the drunkard Ley? Alsace ha, never belonged to Germany, and never will, even if force should predominate for years. The interregnum of 1871-1918 proved it, and the reign of terror of 1940-41 and the revolt of the population (both Open and secret) have proved it again. My compatriots are determined to stick to their parrie France (Vichy is bound to disappear in shame) and when the moment comes Alsatians will again help to trounce the Germans as they did at Valmy and under Napoleon. _ Surely all the world should know the unbridgeable abyss existing between Alsace-Lorraine and Germany, and that further efforts such as Mr. Sinsheimer's to link our homeland with that of its arch foe, will be absolutely discountenanced by the British people.—Yours faithfully, E. ROUPOLPHI, President. Alsace et Lorraine Libres, Furnival House,
14-18 High Holborn, London, W.C.1.
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