The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-09-11


would have political effects which
are incalcuiable but certain to be
disastrous, viewed from the British
thesis. which is that British recovery
depends upon German restoration,
economically. he II understood.
A Lloyd George Swap.
In this situation the British from
the outset took the German view Of
Upper Silcsian dispute. They indi-
Gated, through the foreign office 10
the Germany cabinet that. provided
Germany accepted the allied ultl-
matum of last May and agreed to
meet the allie ddemands in the mat
ter of reparations. Great Britain
would support German rights. of
course the phrase was diplomatically
correct in Upper Silesia. This
meant in fact, if the Germans would
agree to surrender on reparations.
thus avoiding n French occupation
| OF the Ruhr, which would also
gravely disturb British economic in
terests. Britain would back Ger
( man claims in Upper Silesia.
Now, when the vote had been
counted and declared, It remained
| for an allied commission to decide
where the new frontiers should be
drawn. The Germans claimed all
( of the territory by virtue of the fact
/ that the total vote In Upper Silesia
| the Germans had obtained 60 per
/ cent and the Poles but 40 per cent.
/ But this claim was at once thrown
out, for the treaty of Versailles had
/ foreseen such a division of the clec-
| torate and had provided for a divis-
! ion based not upon the total vote
! but upon the geographic circum-
stance.
! Thus the problem oS the in.
! d,' trial area was raised. On all
sides IL was agreed that Ii would
be practically impossible To divide
this area. Tho several communi-
ties and even the counties which
are very small nrc mutually de-
pendent. The water supply of one
city, which went" German, Is In
II country dc itrict which declared
for Poland. The mircs are often
in Polish districts while the cities
which use the coal are In German.
The railroads run I'm such fashion
that to erect frontiers acrost the
district would he to create new
economic and transportation chaos
even worse than those resulting
from the partition of Austria
Hungary.
But since /, was plain isa, the
problem waI, In fact. either to
give il to Germany or To Poland.
Now II Is NJ this precise point
which the British view, which
supports Germany, falls afoul Of
the French. which backs Poland
and II l. the continuing quarrel
over this division which hm' pro-
duccd one "incidcnt" after an
other In the AnglO-Frcnch En-
tcntc. and nearly. IL not actually
rupturCd this union of the two
great nations mos. responsible for
German defeat.
Poland Was Right
The French on behalf of Poland,
claimed for her the whole OF the In
dustriallzpd area. They based their
claim squarely upon the treaty of
Versailles and the results uf the
plebsCite, | have already cited
these figures which reveal that In
the Industrial area Poland carried
five OF nine counties. three-quartsrs
Of the communcs and her total Vote
in the whole area was more than
10000 in excess of that of the Ger
mans. Despite all that has been
said up to the present time, / have
failed to see any argument which
touches the legdlistic side of the
iollSh Clalm.
But the British undertook &c
Justify an opposite view by consider
a.ions which lay wholly outside OF
the purview of the treaty itself, They
said and continue 10 say that the
most important thing In the world
is the restoration of cConomi,
normally; that the first element
in this restoration Ia the return OF
economic life, To deprive Germany
of her second largest industrial area
with 40 per cent Of hcT present Goa
production and more than so pei
cent OF her coal reserves would
then. obviously, be a grave If no
a fatal blow to German recovery.
France Would Win the Roche.
The truth is that British recovery
is contingent upon Germany to q
very considerable degree and, N
reality, this explains the British
policy. But the British base theii
2 contentious on wholly different
% ground They argue that the French
Z policy is directed at the destruction
I Of Germany and France is perfectly
q prepared 10 see Germany ruined for
70 ever, provided that the result Of tho
! ruin would be French immunity
Y from German attack, And haNinl
- stated this view, the British pro
v cccded to attack French policy az
r Chaucinistic, militaristic, short
r sighted for France and disastrous
>. for the world
. As for the French position, It Il
A not bit more unseliish, let Us per