Evening star., 1921-05-17
Upper Silesia.


tendency to minimize the gravity of
the conditions there developing would
be most l-advised-concern at the
present hour CenterS primarily in the
distressing exhibition of discord be.
tween the premierS of France and
Great Britain arising therefrom. The
need for harmony in the councils of
the allies. the assurance that evil con-
sequences would follow in the train of
dlssenSion on fundamental matters,
did not end with the forcing of Ger
many IT, see the truth in regard to
reparatiunS. That the unit; Cf pur-
pose So happily evidenced in the final
settlement Of that problem should be
followed So swiftly by what would APP
pear. at least upon the surface. to he
utter disharmony is deeply to be re-
gretted.
The best that can be said of the
matter is that it probably evidences
rather the strain under which states
men today are laboring than a drift
ing apart of the two great powers
upon the joint efforts of which the
security Of Europe must SO largely
depend. The indiscreet and provoca.
tive speech of Lloyd George and the
mordant and testy reply of BRAND pre-
sumably indicate only that weakness
of the human temperament which
prompts lesser men. working under
lesser pressure. to give way at times
to ill-considered and swiftly regretted
quarrels with their best friends That
France and England should actually
be so entirely at odds upon the meth
DDS to be pursued in Upper Silesia
as the recent utterances of their lead
ing statement would seem to indicate
cannot be credited.
The fundamentals Of the Siiesian
problem are simple of comprehension
The section is one of great economic
and Industrial importance, and both
Poland and Germany have, since the
beginning of the negotiations by which
the new boundaries Of Europe are to
be established. insisted upon conflict
ing claims thereto. Poland was orig
inally given reason to believe that
she was to be awarded the disputed
territory outright. Came a change Of
opinion on the part of 1.-The big four"
and it was decided that a plebiseite
should be held to determine the will
OF the inhabitants. Following that
plebiscite. the result of which was to
depend upon the majority vote in each
commune, the principal allied and as
sociated powers were to fix the bound.
ary running between Poland and Ger
many in the controverted section, pre-
sumably but not necessarily as recon-
mended by the plebiscite commission
On March 20 the plebiscite was held.
the Germans obtaining the largest
vote In the area taken as a whole,
though 6S2 Of the sss communes To-
Gated east of the River Oder voted
In favor OF Poland. without await
ing the decision of the allies on the
subject Of the boundary, but acting
apparently on the theory that the
award was to he unfavorable to Po.
land, a Polish uprising under kor.
fanty ensued, much along the order of
D'Annunzio's insurgency in Italy
Both Germans and Poles have secret
military organizations, in Silesia. The
allied troops have made half hearted
attempts to maintain order, but con.
siderable blood has been shed. The re.
sulting situation is one of danger to
the peace Of Europe
Blame for this sadly muddled state
OF affairs must be shared by the com
bined allied and associated powers
Under the treaty of Versailles those
powafs assumed responsibility for the
region until their decision in regard
thereto should have been announced
and put into effect. Despite the friction
between Lloyd George and BRAND over
subordinate details Of the problem.
both vigorously insist that the solu
tion Of the problem must be reached
in accordance with the terms OF the
treaty of Versailles. 1t is in the light
OF that fact that the gravity of their
recent exchange Of acerbities is great
ly reduced.
The treaty of Versailles is today all
there is Of international agreement in
Europe. 1t cannot be set aside with.
out appalling results. And that treaty
demands that the allies. since the as
sociated power referred to is not now
a party to the treaty. shall maintain
order in Upper Silesia until the border
line between Poland and Germany
shall by them be drawn, and that sub
sequent to that drawing they shall
guarantee the pernanency Of that line.
That Is the joint duty Of France and
England and their allies The British
premier's suggestion that Germany be
permitted to Join in such measures as
may prove necessary to subdue the
overzeaious korfanty cannot be taken