THE SILESIAN PROBLEM

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14722, 12 August 1921, Page 4

THE SILESIAN PROBLEM

The announcement thai, Ihere is a reasonable prospect of a compromise on the Silcsian question will tie welcomed. Mr Lloyd George, at the meeting or the Supreme. Council, clearly and definitely stated the British viewpoint. He indicated that Britain would be no party |o overriding the plebiscite of the people of Upper Silesia, and pointed out that

to do so would only mean laying up trouble for the future. M. Briand, in a temperate speech, stated that France had no ulterior motives in reference to the matter, being only anxious to give effect to the provisions of ttie Versailles Treaty, contending that, in any case of doubt the victors should get the benefit. M. Briand gives uninistakeable indication, however, that he is a champion of the cause of the Poles, and evidently he is prepared to raise doubts in order to give Poland the benefit thereof; but the British Premier stands for both the spirit and the letter of the agreement, and is not disposed to let sympathy for France close his eyes to the, equity of the German claims. Germany appeals for justice in keeping with the result of I lie plebiscite in Upper Silesia. Her Government attaches importance to the retention of industrial anil mining areas upon which must depend her exporting capacity. Shorn af these assets in Upper Silesia, Germany's power to meet her obligations in the. matter of reparation would be appreciably diminished. Only a rich and powerful nation can pay the sums which Germany has promised. France fears a powerful Germany, but she must recognise that she cannot both cripple Germany and make her pay. The advocates of the partition of Silesia disregard the economic stricture of the province. The "industrial triangle," a closely-knit inter-dependent area, is a special obstacle in the way of anything like a reasonable, or acceptable partition. One of the important industrial districts of Europe, it. means a good deal to the economic life of the continent as a whole. The parta.nf Upper Silesia are mutually dependent upon each other and upon Germany. The iron industry in one part depends upon coal mined in another. The transport system of the province is shaped by its main geographical feature, the River Oder, drawing the line of traffic naturally into Germany. Every plan for the further development of Silesian industry is said to lie in the direction of greater unity in working and more intensive exploitation, and it is impossible to ignore the weight of Ihe contention that any plan of partition means a disruption which must reduce the vitality and capacity of the whole area and obstruct its recovery. It is manifest that the drawing of artificial frontiers ttfrough such a territory must be attended with bizarre and unfortunate results. The Poles appear to be indifferent to such considerations, and the attitude of the French extremists, who behold in Silesia Ihe "German armoury," betrays no concern for the future of Silesian industry. If some measure of partition be inevitable, the prospect of anything like a satisfactory settlement rests upon the ability of the Supreme Council to evolve something approximating an equitablp division, in which due account will be taken of economic and ethnological conditions. A compromise of some kind on this question may be the price of Allied unity and co-operation. So far, however, the Allied experts have failed to solve the problem to their mutual satisfaction.