The Washington herald., 1921-03-23
Poland Deserves Silesian
Mine Country, Simonds Says
Reads in Plebiscite Vote Evidence That Denies
German Claim to Overwhelming :.
Victory.

great Importation OF herman voters
and where the population is made
up of German immigrants. In real
fty the majority, aside from this
allen population has been decisive
In all of the mineralized triangle,
which was the real prize fought for.
II lies within the power of the
great powers to disregard the de-
cfsion of the ,voters of the Polish
corner Of Upper snesla and turn
them back to . German tyranny,
which will take it's revenge, But
this would amount to having invited
the Poles in this region to declare
themselves in advance that Ger
many. when she resumed control,
might know those in the population
to. dispose of at once. Something
like this happened in Alsace In the
early days of the war when French
troops penetrated into Mulhouse.
were forced to retire and then the
French sympathizers who bad well
coined them were shot by the Ger
mans.
Demand Of Justice.
II there is any merit in the ple-
biscite method, IL there is any vir-
tue in the doctrine of self-deter-
ahiheehoH' the sTcdt pO"cTS VIII
now have no choice but to recog-
nize the Polish character OF the up
per corner of Silesia, whichs. has
been Polish in character since. the
beginning of history. Had a ma
jority of these Poles preferred Ger
man rule, as the Germans claimed.
then the course would have been
easy and simple. But they have
shown their preference, they have
demonstrated that more than six
centuries of separation from Pola nd
have not changed their sense Of
racial unity.
IL Is patent that the economic ar
gument will be worked to its ut-
most by the Germans, who will
claim that all of Silesia is a unit
and that allied chance OF obtaining
repsrations in large amount depends
upon the continuance of German
rule in Silesia. II the former ar
gument Is debatable the latter is
not. But the allies can only obtain
their pound of flesh in this case by
sacrificing the Poles of Upper ST.
lesia and the adoption of such a
policy will merely mean following
the old and evil Balkan tradition
and the even more recent Armenian
precedent.
Vote Of Poles.
In any event. one fact is quite
clear. conceded even by the Ger
mans, whose apprehensions give the
lie to their propaganda elation -
that portion of Upper SiIesia which
contains the coal and zinc deposits
has gone Polish. despite the pres
ence In the cities of an alien popu-
lation. a portion Of II recruited for
the election. q larger fraction rep-
resenting a migration due to the
Industrial exploitation. The whole
OF the rural-that is, the fixed
population has voted Polish by very
great majoritiee.
As a matter of policy, OF self
interest, as a Circumstance in the
restoration of economic order in
Central Europe. the great powers
may decide to return Upper Silesia
to Germany. although even here
there are certain districts, whose
overwhelming vote for Poland can
hardly be disregarded. But as a
matter of justice, as a recognition
OF the will of the majority of the
people concerned, the allies can
only give to Poland the border dis
tricts. which happen to contain the
things which the Germans are anx-
ious to retain.
Poles seek Peace.
Poland has just consented to the
submission Of the Lithuanian dis
pute to arbitration. Months ago she
did the same as to Teschen. and
suffered thereby. She has just sign
ed a peace with Russia which
brings an end to disorder in East
ern Europe. In the face of these
evidences of a willingness to submit
herself to, world judgment, it is in
conceivable that her western allies
and protectors will now abandon
her, when her claim to a portion of
Upper Silesia has been established
beyond dispute, save by the Ger
man.
II all of Silesia is restored to Ger
many, then one might as well aban-
don all the liberal principles which
have been proclaimed for so many
years and recognize that self-inter-
est alone dominates in world affairs
and that the interests of the weak,
the rights of the less strong, must
always yield to the interests or. as
the German would say the "neces-
stiles" of the strong.
Copyright. ls3l.)