Evening star., 1920-11-21
GERMANS ACCUSED
OF FRAUD VOTING
Brutal Methods Alleged in De-
termination to Control
Upper SiIesia.
ntic cah,e Service "a Tho st.r


Cross-Atlantic Cable Service to The Star
BERLIN, November 2O.-German
brutality and cunning are brought to
bear to their fullest extent in order
to influence the voting in Upper
Silesia. during the plebiscite, and the
population is eagerly awaiting the
reply of President Wilson, who was
recently asked by the Polish plebi-
scite committee to give his personal
opinion as regards the text OF the
treaty dealing with those who are
to be entitled to vote.
Fragrant Abuses Charged.
The right of German immigrants to
vote is already giving rise to the most
fragrant abuses. Numerous photo
by the Polish committee that the
Germans are manufacturing Whole-
sale identity papers, which enable the
names to be filled in afterward. inn
mediately before the casting of the
votes. German colonization is going
on to an extent that would make a
Tammany politician turn green with
envy, and no means are left untried
to prevent the departure for Upper
Silesia of Poles entitled to vote. I'm
less the entente authorities step in
the plebiscite is destined to prove
an even greater fraud than it was
in Danish Schleswig, as amply proved
by the recent elections to the Danish
rigsdag after German Influence and
methods of intimidation had been
eliminated.
The immense wave of German i'm
and taken possession Of Upper Silesia
has given rise to grave disorders and
acts of violence and the situation
grows worse from day to day.
Gets First-Hand Information.
In order to get an unbiased inn
preston of the situation In Silesia.
went by train to Beuthen and took
a motor trip through part of the
plebiscite district, An hours ride
many is ready to use even the most
desperate means to retain this prov
ince. The natural wealth Of the soil
is indescribable. There is coal ev-
erywhere, easily accessible. and every
inch Of ground not. occupied by coal
works. The entire district is teeming
with activity like an immense bee
hive and new factory buildings are
being erected everywhere. The red
brick cottages Of the mine workers
are scrupulously clean. with snow
When my nationality became known
the workers did not hesitate to con-
fide their troubles to me, always look
ing carefully about to assure them
selves that no spies were near.
German SDles Everywhere.
I'VE have to be very careful" said
a young miner to me. "for the Ger
mans have their, spies everywhere,
and to be denounced by one Of them
would mean certain death after the
elections should the district remain
German territory. Ninety per cent Of
the population in this district is Po-
lish. and every vote would be cast
against Germany but for the threats
of revenge. German agents keep on
telling every one that they have
means Of knowing how every man voted.
cret. We are, besides. being constantly
terrorized by armed gangs Of German
thugs
At another place not far from
l. entered the cottage Of
a miner. where I was most cordially
about thirty. addressing me in pure
German, When / expressed my sur.
prise that he did not speak Polish ehe
replied: ) !.
Required to SPEAK German., sh
I'VE all speak German here because
we have been taught no other Ian
guage at school. and we have always
had to be cautious. Among ourselves.
when we are quite certain that there
are no 'spitzels' about, We talk Polish.
We have been people without coun-
try all our lives. but at heart we are
Polish and shall always remain Polish,
no matter what happens. We want
to live in peace with thesGefmans and
we have really no Ill feelings against
them. although we have suffered more
than any one knows under their rule.
because every means, no matter how
brutal, has been used against US to
compel US to becom fGermans."
At KattowitS and many other places
saw many Polish houses that had
been set afire and sacked by the Ger
mans during the month Of August.
when the oppressed Polish popula-
tion. deceived by the terms of the
peace treaty. rose against their Ger
man tyrants and the rebellion was
with the same typically
German brutality we know SO well
from the occupation Of Belgium. Now
these people see the dawn OF liberty
and freedom ifs only the allies will
do their duty toward them and en-
able them to cast their votes in ac-
cordance with their feelings.