The Star. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1921. THE SILESIAN DISPUTE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 12 August 1921, Page 4

The Star.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1921. THE SILESIAN DISPUTE.

Delivered every evening by. 6 o'clock

lowers, Manaia, Normanby. Okaiawa, Eitaaift,,, Mantfatoki, Kapooga, A'Wfctana, Gpunak4, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hur leyvilie, Fatea, Waverley.

It is a great pity that France has permitted her selfish, interests in Poland,; which were entered into before the war, to cloud her sense of justice, and the clear-cut statement made by Mr Lloyd George at the meeting of the Allied Council was most necessary. The facts are briefly these: The framers of the yersailles Treaty, based upon the rights of small nationalities and. having to make provision in some way for the rights of people who for generations had been living under the rule of a conquering Power, decided that the best method for deciding the difficult question as to who their future rulers were to be was to hold a plebiscite under the supervision of the Allied representatives. This was done in the case of the conquered territories of Schleswig and Holstein and in Upper Silesia. The plebiscite restored Schleswig to Denmark, and that province has been returned and its name altered to the Danish spelling Slesvig. Holstein preferred to remain a part of Germany. In Upper Silesia the plebisj cite resulted in certain areas deciding in* favour of Poland and other areas desiring to .remain under German rule. France did not raise any question" about the decision of Holstein, but she is -very "hostile to the portion ofJ3ilesia which voted German being allowed to continue as part of Germany, because it is the richer portion of Silesia and will undoubtedly be of great value to Germany in the future. The Poles are naturally easily provoked to action against v their traditional enemies, and the attitude of France who has encouraged the Poles to resist the rights oi Germany given to her by the plebiscite has made the problem much more difficult and has postponed the settlement. So far the German Government has been able to restrain its people, and the Allied Powers have managed to keep the Poles in check. But the spirit !of bitter hostility has continued, and the position is no less dangerous than it was when the result of the plebiscite was first made known. "Britain and Italy are definitely opposed to the French plan of supporting the Poles in their unfair claims, and Mr Lloyd George lias made it plain that, though Britain was ready to take the side of France in the war which was forced

upon her by the Prussian militarists, she is not prepared to let France, by unfair and unreasonable support of the Poles, who are in the wrong, drag Europe into another war. That is the real danger of the Silesian situation, and Britain and Italy will have to sup- ; port Germany and uphold ncr rights, if ■France refuses to change her attitude. Mr LloyS George's appeal to the French leadefs will, it is to be hoped, be accepted and acted upon at once, for France and Poland hav e far more to lose than jfco gain by resisting the principles upon which the Peace Treaty is based. It is sad io think that France, terribly battered and weakened by the war, has not learned the lessons which the conflict should, have brought home "to her. She deserves full credit for the magnificent part she took in the war which was fought in defence, of great principles, but she is not acting in the interests of -peace when she is willing, as she appears to be, to sacrifice these principles" now that she thinks she is in a position to continue to punish Germany. The occupation of the Ruhr Valley is a heavy loss to Germany, and she deserves it, but she does not deserve to be unfairly punished by denying her the rights which the plebiscite in Upper Silesia "Has given her. Once again the British Jove of justice to all nations in operating the Peace Treaty stands out plainly, and we may well feel proud of the definite yet friendly attitude taken up by Mr Lloyd George in dealing with a problem made more difficult by our greatest Ally during the war. It is satisfactory to learn that, the conversations which have been taking place between the Allied Premiers have resulted in a much better tone, and it is to be hoped that the Silesian will soon be ended and the "dangers of another European war removed.