AlsaceLorraine - 1916 Author:David Starr Jordan Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Ill Autonomy m Alsace-Lorraine JUST now (1913) Elsass-Lothringen asks for autonomy, for Home Rule within the Empire. No man familiar with imperial politics... more » expects or hopes to see the region returned to France. It is argued by some Germans that the Alsatians demand Home Rule not for the good of the people, but because it prevails in the other twenty-five states, and Alsatians want all privileges their neighbors enjoy. Under German law, however, Elsass-Lothringen is not a state, but a territory of the Empire, "Reichs- land." It was placed in this peculiar position as a contribution to the unification of Germany. Being owned jointly by each and all of the states, it was expected that common possession would add to the cement which holds them together and under the protection and domination of Prussia. The "Reichsland" has no executive head of its own choosing. It is governed from Berlin by a Statthalter appointed by the Emperor, the power of the Statthalter and his Ministerium at Stras- burg being derived from the Emperor. The constitution of the "Reichsland" was granted from Berlin (in 1911) at the instance of Prince von Billow. It was not framed by the people nor their representatives. It was not accepted by them, nor is it subject to their amendment. It can be recalled at any time at the will of the Bundesrath and Reichstag. In strict theory, therefore, the "Reichsland" should have no representation in the Imperial Councils. Three votes in the Reichstag are, however, 'J" granted to Elsass-Lothringen in a total of sixty- one, but with the peculiar provision that such votes are not to count if Prussia should thereby gain a majority. The device was adopted in the interest of the smaller states as a slight protection against overshadowing by the great one. Under the co...« less