sked Prussia to become her subjects. The facts are that they have
fought and begged for autonomy for nearly 150 years, and that at the
present time high German officials are members of the Anti-Polish
League.

Dr. Dernburg, when he comes to Schleswig-Holstein, states that 30,000
Danes south of the Eider River (this is in Holstein) have been absorbed
against their will, "a thing that can never be avoided, and that has
sometimes given Prussia a little trouble." But what about the Danes
north of the Eider River? Schleswig and Holstein are really two
provinces. Holstein is German, but the northern part of Schleswig, north
of Fiensburg, is inhabited by Danes who are longing to join Denmark and
who number about 200,000. Article 5 of the Treaty of Prague, signed on
Aug. 23, 1866, after Sadowa, between Prussia and Austria, states that
the inhabitants of Northern Schleswig shall be given a chance to join
Denmark, "if they should so express the desire by a free vote." Prussia
has not respected this solemn promise any more than former promises
concerning Schleswig. The frequently renewed protests of the annexed
Danes have remained unanswered. The best proof that Prussia's title to
Danish Schleswig was not considered as very substantial is that in
October, 1878, Prussia finally obtained from Austria the annulment of
Article 5 of the Treaty of Prague, which dealt with the taking of a
plebiscite in Danish Schleswig.

To decide the fate of a province without consulting the inhabitants
seems perfectly natural to German Kultur, but to Americans it is not;
the days of slavery have gone, and wherever slavery still exists it is
time to make a change.

As to Alsace-Lorraine, says Dr. Dernburg, "the facts are known that it
had belonged to Germany until it was taken by Louis XIV., against the
will of the people, and that it was returned to Germany as a matter of
right." Such an argument is mediaeval, and it might just as well be
argued that Germany should now belong to France, because Germany was
once conquered, civilized, and organized by inhabitants of France, led
by their Frankish King. And it is not sure that in 1648 Alsace was not
glad to become French, because Louis XIV., by the Treaty of Westphalia,
then granted perfect religious freedom to the Alsatians, who unlike
their neighbors, lived ever since without fear of religious
persecutions. Lorraine itself was not annexed by Louis XIV., nor by
force, as it was peacefully united to Fra