The log cabin Democrat., 1921-03-14
SILESIA AGAIN CENTER
 OF EUROPE'S POLITICS
Rich Mining State to Choose Between Germany and Poland-Drastic
 Campaign Methods.
By Webb Miller.

By Webb N Her.
 i t(Umted Press Staff Correspondent.)
 London. March 14.-All Europe is watching with intense interest the next step toward dismemberment of the German Empire, namely, an elec- tion that takes place in mid-Mareh in { Upper Silesia. to determine whether 1 tais immensely rich coal district re- 1 mains German or becomes Polish.
 Today whirlwind campaign is taking place in Upper Silesia between German and Polish partisans. It is accompanied by murder. corruption funds used on a huge scale and ban l ditry. Human life is bought and .sold The price for grown man is 1 60,000 marks = SIP in American moncy.
 European opinion is sharply divided on the question. Among the allied nations there are grave differences of opinion on the justice and adyisabilty of depriYing Germany of the rich coal resources of Upper Silesia Curtail- ment of German coal supplies, now secured from this region, would se- riously cripple Germany's ability to pay indemnity.
 Broadly speaking there are three distinct viewpoints in Europe regard ing Upper Silesia:
 Poland. with French support, is do- ing everything in her power to cap- 4,7ro +E,, ,olc;,,, rTho IForeo1,, r,oz-o,,,. ment for two years has conducted world propaganda campaign endeav- bring to show that while German money and industrial genius develop ed Upper Silesia today controlling the economic wealth of the province, the population, on the other hand, is preponderatingIy Polish. Further, the Poles declare that without coal from Upper Silesia their country cannot prosper cannot recover from the inn mense damages sustained during the great war,
 France, in giving Poland support, is following her policy of striving for the dismemberment of Germany, in order to weaken the gigantic enemy across the Rhine that ravished north ern France during the great war, and that imposed a crushing treaty on France in 1870, at the same time wrestling Alsace-L Lorraine from French ] control.
 Germany's viewpoint is briefly ex- plained. Every German views with alarm the French move for partition of the fatherland, and, in the case of Upper Silesia, giving a rich province to Poland, a country of low cultural development. By a provision of the Versailles treaty, Germany is permit ted to assist former Upper-S -Silesians, now living in Germany, back to their native land for the forthcoming cleo ton. Some 200,000 of these "emi- i grants" will vote obviously against Poland 1
 Liberal opinion in England views with alarm the separation of Upper Silesia from Germany. They see in such a move an impoverishment of Germany that will absolutely forbid payment of war indemnity. Further they see a dangerous continuation of the present collapse of Europe.
 Europe" the liberals declare, "is like an egg, it cannot be partly good and partly rotten." Today the indus trial collapse of Europe has reacted disadvantageously on England, being largely the cause of 1,500,000 unem- ployed in the British Isles and one of the worst trade Impressions in all his tory.
 "The world can recover only as a unit. France cannot prosper by the impoverishment of Germany" the British liberals declare. "Disarma- ment of Germany, the separation of Upper Silesia and the loping off of Bavaria and the Ruhr district, al three of which France is working, would mean the crowning disaster. It would mean the complete disinte- grafton of Europe"