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Show RIBOT'S SPEECH. At the close of tho Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71 the French and some German statesmen urged (Bis-, marck not to take Alsace and Lorraine from the republic, pointing out the fart that the two provinces would become a bone of contention and that the French people wouLd' never be content con-tent until they had received their lost territoy. Bismarck declined to heed them, knowing full well the Prussian plans to make every German a soldier and to be prepared for war at any hour of the day or night. The iron chancellor chan-cellor knew that the world was asleep and apparently had no fear that France would ever be able to overcome Germany Ger-many in the field, and he died firmly in the belief that the new German empire em-pire which he helped to found would indeed bo over all. But there was a fatal error in his calculations. He thought Great Britain Brit-ain would! be busy aggrandizing on her own account and could be cajoled into keeping outr of a war on the continent and so far as the United States was concerned con-cerned he never dreamed that the time would come when Columbia would draw the Bword and throw the scabbard away. Great Britain, however, did not stand idly by when the Prussians renewed re-newed their war of conquest and the United1 States has stepped into the breach with all her wealth and manpower. man-power. Bismarck's opinion held good for nearly half a century, but were he now alive he would be compelled to admit ad-mit his error before the present war draws to an end. There can be no peace 'until Prussian militarism is no more and when that is beaten down to earth there must be restitution and reparation. The world, cannot go back to the ante-bellum status quo, although the United States will have no claims for compensation compen-sation and we would scorn to impose an indemnity upon a "beaten foo such as Bismarck forced from the French people peo-ple after Sedan. France and the smaller nations of Europe which have been ravaged by the Huns during the last three years have claims which must be settled and Premier Ribot took occasion while celebrating cele-brating the third anniversary of the battle of the Marne to declare that France would not consent to diplomatic discussion as to whether Alsaco and Lorraine should be restored. If France has been "bled white ' by the awful conflict now raging she is entitled to recover her stolen provinces without question if the allies win, and the authorities au-thorities at Berlin should not be allowed al-lowed to harbor any false impressions regarding the matter while they are discussing the subject of peace. Evidently Evi-dently Premier Ribot intended to let them know just what will be required of them. |