522 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



among themselves, but what benefit did the masses derive from the 

 bloody campaigns of the republic? The distribution of the annone, 

 280 grammes of bread each a day, given to 200,000 persons out of 

 the 1,500,000 inhabitants of the Eternal City! Surely the Komans 

 would have gained a great deal more by working themselves than by 

 pillaging other nations! 



Things are exactly the same now. In 1871 twenty-eight per- 

 sons received from the Emperor William donations forming a total 

 of $3,000,000. But what benefit did the German people derive from 

 the conquest of Alsace-Lorraine? None. Dividing the 3,600,000 

 acres of that province among the 6,400,000 families that were living 

 in Germany at the time of the Treaty of Erankfort would make 

 two and a half acres each. This is not opulence. Of the 5,000,- 

 000,000 of francs extorted from Erance as damage for the expenses 

 of the war there remained 3,896,250,000 francs, which, divided 

 among 6,400,000 families, represent a gain of 609 francs, or about 

 $121.80 per family — hardly enough to live scantily upon for four 

 months; and this was the most lucrative war of which history makes 

 mention ! Consider, further, at what amount of sacrifice these $121.80 

 have been gained. In 1870 the military expenses of the North Ger- 

 man Confederation and the four southern states amounted to 

 349,000,000 francs a year. They now exceed 795,000,000, and 

 in another year (from 1894) will exceed 870,000,000. Here, then, 

 is an increase of 521,000,000 francs, or a charge of 60 francs per 

 family. As 609 francs, even at five per cent, will only return 30 

 francs, we have here a clear loss of 30 francs (or $6) a family per year. 

 It thus appears that the conquest of Alsace-Lorraine would have been 

 a bad speculation, even if the Erench indemnity had been distributed 

 in equal parts among all the German families. But, in fact, it has 

 not been so; so that the 60 francs of supplementary expenditure 

 are paid without any compensation. 



It might be said that the conquest of Alsace-Lorraine was not 

 dictated solely by sordid economical considerations. Other inter- 

 ests, purer and more elevated, stir the hearts of modern nations. 

 But we ask, Is it grand, noble, and generous to hold unwilling popu- 

 lations under the yoke? On the contrary, it is most base, vile, and 

 degrading. It is difficult to comprehend how brutal conquest can 

 still arouse enthusiasm. Ancient survivals and routines must for 

 a time have suppressed all our reflective faculties. 



Suppose, again, 3,000,000 German soldiers should penetrate 

 into Russia and should gain a complete victory: how would they 

 apportion the territory? The parts here would indeed be larger — ■ 

 Russia contains 5,471,500,000 acres. But a third of this territory, 

 at least, is desert; subtracting this, there remain about 3,600,000,000 



