Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1919 — ALLIES TO SLICE UP RHINELAND [ARTICLE]

ALLIES TO SLICE UP RHINELAND

Saar and Briey Valley Regions May Be Made Free States. Tentative plans advanced Concerning Region Along the West Bank of the Rhine, Present Tendency Is Toward Same Form of "Sterilization." Paris, Marcn 4 A new map of Europe is rapidly taking form, and within a week the frontiers of the old '•ales will largely be defined as they ‘J-e to appear In the peace treaty and the successive documents fixing territorial limits. ! First in importance is Germany s ‘western frontier bordering on France, which assumes international significance as a barrier against renewal of the present war. Owing to the issues Involved, final determination of this question is left to the council of the 1 great powers, but in the meanlime the tentative plans have been well advanced by the commission which coordinates reports on all frontier questions. Alsace Taken Unconditionally. As it now stands, the western comes under three main heads —first, Alsace-Lorraine : second, [the great iron and coal regions of .Briey and the Saar valley, and third, ’the extensive strip of German territory lying on the west bank of the Rhine from the Palatinate northward. With respect to Alsace-Lorraine, the present tendency to, make recession of this section to France without any condition of a plebiscate or otherwise. It is now occupied by military forces under the- armistice and there is every indication that the occupation will become permanent.

Germans to Lose Iron. The Briey and Saar valley sections are chiefly important as furnishing iron, steel and coal on which Germany’s military power was bawd, and it is believed that the new line will definitely put an end to any further fuse of these sources of German powicr. Part of the Briey and Saar sections will become French by return of 'Lorraine. The main difficulty has been over a large section of the Saar coal fields lying beyond Lorraine and within German territory. Saar Region Free State? The present idea seems to be somewhat between annexation of that section and leaving it to Germany. According to this the northern Saar region would be neither French nor German, but would occupy a position (somewhat similar to the District of Columbia among the American states. Its productive capacity would doubtless go to France, but politically its 300,000 inhabitants would not be subject to conscription or military service either to France-,or Germany, and would not elect delegates to the legislative body of either country. This and other measures are being considered with the object of “sterilizing” the region, so that Germany could ndf by a sudden inrush again turn its production to war uses. • Same Plan for West Bank. Concerning the region along' the west bank of the Rhine, the present tendency Is toward the samp form of “sterilization,” which would render this Impotent for German military uses without giving it a definite political status toward either side. This probably would be accomplished by the same means, as in the Saar region by making the inhabitants independent of conscription or military service to either side and without legislative representation, except some local form of self-admjn-tstratlon. This, on broad lines, Is the present plan, which, however, is only tentative, pending final action by the council of the great powers. Timeplans relative to other fronti^N’Cl including those ' of the new Czecho-Slovakla, Roumania, Serbia and Greece and to the expected acquisition in Thrace and Asia Minor, are also nearing completion.