Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1950. SAAR PROBLEM

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 127, 14 March 1950, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1950. SAAR PROBLEM

It was, reported last week that France and the Saar had agreed on a treaty providing for French mining of Saar coal, and giving the Saar more independence in its own affairs. The full terms have not been revealed, but it appears that Western Germany is hot too •happy about the situation at all. M. Schuman and Dr. Adenauer discussed the whole problem some weeks ago, but at that time no progress was made. In the overall plan for a United Europe the Saar holds a most important post, and it is essential that some satisfactory settlement be reached in regard to this much disputed territory. At the moment Franco-German relations appear to be much happier than they have been for a very long time, and a settlement of the Saar dispute would go a long way toward still further improving the situation. Unfortunately a solution will not be easy, because to the two nations the Saar represents different things. To Germany it means, mainly prestige, but to France it means economic and strategic security. From this 'it will be realised that the French will fight hard to secure control, and that fight may convince the Germans that the old sores have not healed. Since the war the Saar has been closely linked with France both economically and culturally, and the Germans fear that if France secures the lease of the Saar mines for 50 years —an agreement to this effect has now been signed —the territory will be completely absorbed before that term is ended. The agreement, however, is subject to the conditions of the future peace treaty between the Allies and Germany. Furthermore, France has continued to lay emphasis on preparations for granting the Saar full independence and the argument has been raised that las the mines were ceded unconditionally to France under the Treaty of Versailles, and as'Hitler’s repurchase of them after the Saar plebiscite, was never completed, the mines are still really French property. Whatever the legal position may be, this matter is one in which it is essential not only that-justice should be done, but that it must manifestly seem to be done. There is some reassurance in the fact that if the interests of the new Europe are affected by this agreement, it can be rejected when the very necessary peace treaty is eventually drafted.