The Press THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1934. Trouble in the Saar

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21244, 16 August 1934, Page 10

The Press THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1934. Trouble in the Saar

Mr Knox, the chairman of the Saar Commission, has once again complained to the League Council of " systematie agitation against the " Commission's officials" and has asked for an increase in the police force at his disposal. Coming so soon after the joint undertaking by the French and German Governments to preserve the " freedom, "sincerity, and secrecy of the vote" in the forthcoming plebiscite, this , development will be a grave disappointment to those who believed that 1 the Saar question had been amic- ( ably settled. The truth is, however, i that the importance of the Francoj German agreement has been greatly exaggerated. The French Government long ago realised that the Saar was predominantly German in sentiment and that no amount of propaganda will make it otherwise. French policy has therefore been directed to securing an early plebiscite and the creation of adequate machinery for settling the vexed problem of the Saar mines, which Germany will have the right to repurchase if the Saar is joined to the Reich. In the meantime another political conflict I has developed in the Saar. Had the ' plebiscite been held before the Nazi revolution, the result could only have been union with Germany, But the Saar, besides being predominantly! German, is also predominantly j Catholic and has strong socialist and | communist parties. To the Catholics, j and to the parties of the left and-! centre, union with Nazi Germany is not attractive. Though the Saarland press is, with the exception of a few | journals with small circulations,} under Nazi domination, most Saar- ] a riders now know about, the concentration camps and are aware that the Catholic Church in Germany is on the defensive. This knowledge has been sufficient to bring into j existence a "Freedom Front" which is organising a campaign to preserve the system of government by a League commission. But the supporters of the status quo work under crippling difficulties. If the Saar Commission was less authoritarian in its methods and organisation, or if it were possible to vote for continuance of the status quo for a limited period, they would ha • a btl.'vr chance of success. The S ~r socialists were accustomed, before 1932, to denounce the Saar Commission as a "capitalist inquisition hence their campaign for its reten*ion is not as wholehearted as it might be. Moreover, a Saarlander must think twi e before identifying himself with the " Freedom Front." Despite the vigilance and energy of the Commission, there is already a Nazi " terror" in the Saar; and in the German press and in German official wireless propaganda the "separatists" are almost. daily threatened with victimisation. " Der " Vorposten," a Nazi orgrn, recently denounced Max Braun, the leader of the " Freedom Front,' as a traitor to the Fatherland, and added: " Such "saboteurs must be exterminated! " liko rats. No consideration of any j " kind will be shown .... We | "shall smash the autonomist brood j "to bits and show no mercy." That] this extract, which reflects the tone! of the whole Nazi press, is not an empty threat is shown by the recent attempt to assassinate ..raun, and by acts of violence against other members of his organisation. In the circumstances it will not be surprising if next January there is a majority for union with Germany. The League's most serious difficulties will then begin, for it. will be obliged by the peace treaty to ensure that there is no victimisation of political or national minorities.