The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-03-02
GERMAN DISMEMBERMENT
MIGHT CAUSE COLLAPSE

London. (By mail. ALI Europe is
watching with intense interest the
next step toward ACKNOWLEDGMENT of
the German Empire, namely, an cleo
ton that takes place in mid-March in
Upper Silesia, to determine whether
this immensely rich coal district re-
mains German or becomes Polish.
Today a. .whirlwind campaign is
taking place in Upper Silesia between
German and Polish partisans. It is
accompanied by murder, corruption
funds used on huge scale and BAN
ditry. Human life is bought and sold.
The price for a grown man is &C, 600
marl.s-S72 in American money.
European opinion is sharply divided
or the question. Among the Allied
nations there are grave differences
of opinion on the justice and advisa-
bility Of |depriving Germany of the
rich coal resources Of Upper tSilesia.
Curtailment Of German coal supplies,
now secured from this region, would
seriously 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
doing everything in her power to cap
ture the region. The Warsaw gov
eminent for two years has conducted
a world propaganda campaign en-
deavoring to show that while Ger
man money and industrial genius
developed Upper Silesia, today con-
trolling the economic wealth of the
province, the population, on the other
hand is preponderately Polish. Fur
Their, the Poles declare that without
coal from Upper Silesia their country
cannot prosper; cannot recover form
the immense damages sustained
during the war.
France, in giving Poland support, is
following her policy of striving for
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of Germany in Or
der to weaken the gigantic enemy
across the Rhine that ravished Nor
thern France during the great war,
and that imposed a crushing treaty
on France in 1870, at the same time
wrestling Alsace-Lorrain from French
control.
Germany's viewpoint is briefly ex-
planned. 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, country of low cultural
development. BY provision of the
Versailles treaty, Germany is permit
ted to assist former Upper Slesiahs,
now living in Germany, back to their
native land for the forthcoming cleo
ton. Some 100000 of these "emi-
grants" will vote obviously against
Poland.
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 idemnity. Further they
see a dangerous continuation Of the
present collapse of Europe.
Europe" the liberals declare, lis
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 100000 un-
employed in the British Isles and one
of the worst trade depressions in all
history.
''The world can recover only as a
unit. France cannot prosper by the
mpoverishment of Germany" the
British liberals declare. "Dismember-
mcnt Of Germany: the separation of
Upper Silesia and the looping off Of
Bavaria and the Ruhr district, all
three of which France is working,
would be the browning disaster. 1t
would mean the complete disintegra-
ton of Europe"