El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-07-03


The idea OF a separate state has
long been discussed BY Germans who
have wished TO break away from
Prussia and set up an autonomous
bundesstaat ike that OF Bavaria and
MurrtemDerg- The old tmperialiSt
government regarded the movement
with stern disfavor and It made no
appreciable Roadway until the revo-
luton which overthrow the kaiser
But It was not until Upper Silesia
vas made a plebiscite battle-ground
and the Germans woke NJ to the
possibility Of b territory being
added TO Poland that the question OF
complete autonomy-that Is, the es-
adjustment OF an entirely separate
and Independent state ike CZecho-
Slovakia and Jugo-Slzvia-becams q
live issue.
In dread OF Polish annexation. the
Germans. who contend that Upper
SiIesia's mines and Industries would
be ruined under Polish management
now 2 shouting for the separation
and making a noise that Is heard
above AL b din Of the plebiscits
fight.
What the international commission
at Oppeln is thinking Of the separat-
lst project IS a deep secret Off
cially the commissioners refuse to
discuss It. The commissions business
is to hold an election to enable the
Upper Silesians TO say whether they
man or go to Poland II Is reason
able 10 assume. however, that II the
commission recommended to Paris re-
consideration Of autonomy that the
supreme council which rejected the
proposal last February would give Il
another hearing
The most ardent advocates Of
separation ? members OF the Ger
man Center party Catholics who
seek religious freedom, but are
ra1rrFnuf - aa~wra 81 ~ the awuanza
Of Upper Silesia becoming Polish
See Final German Victory.
Neither German labor lead
ers nor mine operators In Upper
SiIesia want separation except
nE n last resort. Both, in Gis-
euHsinE the subject term II the
lesser OF two evils.
But both labor and capital
cherish the belief that ultimately
II Upper sIlesia goes Polish OF
becomes 4 separate state, Ger
many VII reabGorb II. Estimates
made As to low long II would
take German to get Upper silesia
back varied from 5 TO % years.
As h Germans put II, the
orientatiOn Of Upper Snesia Is
bound TO be west, not east
Upper sueaia VIII Gain.
Beuthen, Upper Slesia. July -
Upper Silesia's big industries. far
from suffering II b ~plebiscite adds
this region 10 Poland. viii gain
enormously as Poland. stripped BY
the war Of everything It needs for
Industrial development viii be an
eager purchaser OF Upper SLesiaiS
coal. iron, zinc and other raw ma
terials and finished products
That Is One OF the principal argu-
ments the Poles are making TO b
Upper Silesian electorate Their chief
spokesman Is Josef Kymer, secretary
OF the Federated Polish unions, which
in Upper Silesia claim a member
ship OF $50, 600, including workers OF
political parties with the excep-
ton OF Polish Social Democrats He
attended b international labor con-
ference at Washington las fail and
he takes q keen interest In American
labor and Industrial conditions
German Argument thin
Owing 20 our Isolation In this far
off corner OF Germany" he said.
Upper Siiesia's industries always
had difficulty In meeting the
competition OF the Wsstphalian and
Ruhr districts. Poland IS on the eve
Of q huge Industrial development n
IL viii be able to consume every
product Upper Silesia supplies. It's
nonsense for the Germans to say that
the mines and factories would be
ruined under Polish control, for the
reason that the Germans VIII
continue to operate them
To be sure, Poland up 70 now
hasn't the social and labor laws Ger
has. But II viii hive them and
they viii be an Improvement on Ger
many's, which are faulty and difficult
to reform because their machinery is
so p~onderous and complicated Poland
is now planning a Workmen's COM
pensation act and other labor legis-
which will be entirely salts
factory and easy to execute"
kymer expressed confidence in q
big Polish majority at h election