The New York herald., 1921-01-24
BOTH SIDES WANT
SILESIA VOTE SOON
Poles and Germans Eager to
Have Plebiscite as Early
as Possible.
FORMER ARE CONFIDENT
Predictions Of Trouble, What
ever the Result, Are
Freely Made.
Ru TIE Associated Press.

BIZ TIE Associated Press.
BEUTHEN, Upper Silesia. Jan. "a
German ndustrialists. Polish propa-
gandists and the men and women who
work In the great mines of Upper Silesia
express virtually "a unanimous hope tina.
the Council Of Ambassadors meeting in
Paris Tomorrow will fix the earliest
possible date for the plebiscite. which.
they believe, regardless of the result.
will be the first step toward the stabil-
ization of the unsettled conditions which
are terrorizing and pauperizing large
percentage of the population. (March l3
is the latest date set for the holding OF
the plebscite.)
The Germans who are conducting an
intensive, campaign to swing the region
east of the Oder to their side, declare
that further postponement of the cleo
tions will only add to the excitement
and to the hatred between the Poles and
the German workmen, and that eco
nomically the interest of Upper Silesia
will be best served by an immediate
vote to decide whether Poland or Ger
many will control
The Poles. apparently more confident
Of victory, assert that they have always
stood for an early plebiscite and still
urge It. II is pointed out by both sides
that the population is fully equipped
with arms and that fighting during or
after the elections can hardly be
avoided.
Wojoieck Korfanty Polish leader and
chief propaganda in the plebiscite zone
and former member Of the Reichstag.
whom the Germans charge with instt-
eating the organized terror last year.
has declared that Poland is SO confident
Of winning the elections that he has
completed arrangements for the as
sumption of control of every admins
trative post the moment the decision
Of the celebrates is announced. he
said an organization had been developed
to take over the railroads and all the
mines and other Industries, as we'll as
to replace the present German Govern
ment officials.
The campaign, which has been going
on ruthlessly. has lost it's economic as
poets in spite Of the great wealth OF
upper Slesia and has become a ques-
ton of nationality. according to Herr
Korfanty. who added:
Upper Siesia has never really been
part of Germany and the Germans de-
veloped 1t for 500 years only as
colony. Our campaign is against the
Middle Age system by which the indus
majority of the working people in literal
slavery. This working population Is
overwhelmingly Polish; its social and
national interests are Polish and It's
sympathies are there. / am willing to
wager my head that Poland will win
this plebiscite.'
Herr Korfanty was informed by the
Interviewer: THE Germans say that
YOU have an army of 10000 men In
Poland, that you have over 10,0Oo.ooo
marks in contributions. that you are re-
sponsible for the terror, that you are the
chief cause of the spread of Bolshevism
In the mining centres, that you nave
planned n massacre OF German resi-
dents I'm the event of Polish victory and
that the French Government Is giving
you financial support"
Korfanty smiled and replied: The
Poles and Germans all are armed. That
is natural sequence to the events OF
last August. i am not training troops.
We have sufficient money, but the
French do not give literally, you know.
The crime wave seems to me to be more
the result of the war than local condi-
tions, and you have il everywhere. II Is
in Berlin, in America, over the whole
world Feeling is intense and there
probably will be trouble, but criminals
have no nationality
The Polish leader said that he ex-
pected Poland's financial situation to
improve shortly. He argued that Poland
would be able to handle the big Silesian
industries, although she had had no OPP
portunity to demonstrate such ability.
He exhibited apparent fear of the con-
tnued spread OF communism. but be-
lieved that Poland could control the sit
uation I'm ppper Silesia and at the same
time form natural barrier against
the spread OF Boishevism from Russia"
BERLIN. Jan. 23.-German mine owners
with whom the plebiscite In Upper Silesla
has been discussed are generally agreed
that in the event of Polish victory
they would make no effort to dispose OF
their properties but would seek a satis-
factory working agreement with the
Polish Government One OF them said:
"The value is such that we would be
unable to dispose of the properties at
anything approximating the real value.
Besides. we feel we owe an obligation to
the rest Of the world to keep the mines
operating and think the Poles realize
that II will be necessary to retain in
authority the men who developed or are
now operating these industries"