19133 A Satirical Artist 



behind the bars. It bore as legend the words, " Lieh 

 Vaterland mag ruhig sein" (Dear Fatherland may- 

 rest in peace), a line from "Die Wacht am Rhein," 

 the famous hymn of Germany. 



Hansi's "Histoire d' Alsace" is a delightful volume, " story of 

 remarkable not only for its virile and often ludicrous ^'^'^"" 

 color sketches of scenes in Alsatian history,^ but 

 also for a fine literary style. It was crowned by the 

 French Academy in 19 13, at about the time Walz him- 

 self was tried in Leipzig for high treason because of 

 "Mon Village," his next book. The illustrations in "My 

 this daintily delicious tome describing his native ^'"''S'" 

 town near Wissembourg in Lower Alsace deal with 

 many events and many types, those representing 

 Prussian teachers and tourists being as usual more 

 true to life than complimentary! But in the sketch 

 under legal condemnation two prim little Alsatians, 

 standing on the Vosges beside a monument to French 

 heroes "dead for the Fatherland," gaze solemnly 

 across toward France, whence rising clouds take the 

 form of spectral hosts of cavalry advancing through 

 the air toward Alsace. 



After much discussion the court decided that paint- Near- 

 ing and publishing this picture did not constitute *'^^''^'"' 

 "high treason," but it condemned the artist to a 

 year's imprisonment for stirring up sedition. He was, 

 nevertheless, released on bail to return to Colmar to 

 see his aged father, and somehow his friends arranged 

 that he should forfeit bail and escape to France, where 

 Boll, Blumenthal, mayor of Colmar, and other nation- 

 alists joined him. A letter from myself to Boll in 1915 

 was returned with the endorsement " Fliichtig" — 

 that is, "Fugitive." 



' I should add that certain illustrations in this publication are by V. Huen. 



C 507 3 



