The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-08-15

Special Cable to THn New York HERALD
Copyright, 1921, bv THE New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Berlin, Aug. II.
The transfer of the Upper Siesian
question to the League Of Nations for a
decision disorients German opinion. The
press in viewing the situation is partly
reserved and partly hostile. The League
of Nations is unpopular in Germany be-
cause the Malmedy decision favored Bel
GUM. The opinion of the conservative
Ta0es~cstung is that the shifting of the
question is merely a sleight of hand
performance, as the decision Will be
given by body in which the Allies con-
tinue to exercise a decisive influence.
Count Reventow's newspaper empha-
sizes the powerlessness of the League of
Nations, and the landowners Krers-
xeitun0 sees the decision of the Supreme
Council as an admission of bankruptcy.
The opinion of German official circles is
best reflected by Hugo Stinnou's 1I0e-
nloineyeitan0, which thinks that the
League of Nations will seek moderate
compromise solution.
Best informed circles here go further
and declare that the transfer of the
question indicates French capitulation to
British demands and that the bulk of the
Upper Silesian industrial area will be
given back to Germany. This recon-
mendation, they believe, would save
Premier BRANDS face before the French
Nationalist who would demand his re-
trement We're he to concede TO the Brit
ish demands directly.
The French here say that this also
permits them to evade certain excessive
pledges they made to the Poles relative
to French support of decision favorable
n iqh
to avoid risling a. break in the alliance
with Great Britain and the fulflment
of the PREPARATIONS clauses of the treaty
because of Upper Silesia.
THE NEW YORK HERALD correspondent
learns from authoritative allied circles
IN Berlin that Germanys disarmament
has been virtually finished. This should
terminate the functions OF the existing
Inter-Alled Commission under Gen.
Moriet. The French, with the support
OF the Belgians. object to this. however.
and declare that the results accom-
plished would be lost IL permanent con-
troll is not established, not so much
with regard TO military disarmament.
but to exercise more active control
OF German industries.
The other allies. however, take a posi-
ton contrary to that of the French
and Belgians and demand that military
| commissions of all sorts should be abol-
ished. The British and Italians would
be contented with Article 243 of the
treaty, leaving subsequent control to the
League of Nations. The French object
to this on the ground that the League
OF Nations Is powerIess and that neutral
and distant members might block the
defensive steps that the French and
Belgians demand as being essential to
their security.
They want. therefore. either the main
tenance of their own commissions or an
extension of powers to the League of
Nations SO that II could apply sanctions
when its injunctions were disobeyed.
! The British point of view is that the
treaty need not be modified in this re-
gard. Neutral military observers in
Berlin discount the French reports of
menacing military danger here and
believe that control by the League OF
Nations, together with publicity. would
put sufficient cold water on German
! military ardor.