132 EMPLOYMENT OF THE PLEBISCITE [43O 



records. -This, of course, would deprive the "expression 

 of opinion " of the secrecy essential to a free and unre- 

 strained voicing of a popular will. 



Article yj provides that " within the two years following 

 the definite transfer of the sovereignty over the territories 

 assigned to Belgium . . . German nationals over i8 years 

 of age habitually resident in those territories will be entitled 

 to opt for German nationality." It stipulates further that 

 " persons who have exercised the above right to opt must 

 within the ensuing twelve months transfer their place of 

 residence to Germany." 



Concerning the cessions of German territory to Belgium, 

 the German Peace Delegation submitted to the Allied and 

 Associated Powers the following comment' in regard to 

 Neutral and Prussian Moresnet, where no expression of 

 opinion is provided for: "Neutral Moresnet owes its origin 

 to the Prussian-Dutch frontier treaty of June 26, 1816. It 

 is a district with 3,500 inhabitants, the majority of which 

 are German by origin and language. . . . Prussian Mores- 

 net, too, which belongs to the district of Eupen, has a pre- 

 dominantly German population. Nevertheless, not even a 

 plebiscite has been provided in these territories." 



As to the other territories to be ceded it is stated that 

 "historically the districts of Eupen and Malmedy have 

 never belonged to Belgium, or to any of the political for- 

 mations which may be considered as predecessors of the 

 present Belgium." In the district of Eupen which is claimed 

 as purely German, "out of 25,000 inhabitants during the 

 last census only ninety-eight named Walloonian as their 

 mother tongue." 



In Malmedy the Walloonians " are considerably in the 

 minority " as the district " has among its 37,000 inhabitants 

 a population of about 9,500 souls speaking Walloonian as 

 their mother tongue." 



The comment then raises two objections to the cessions 



" " Comments by the German DelcRation on the Conditions of 

 Peace," published as number 143 by the .American Association for 

 International Conciliation, New York, Oct., 1919. 



