Evening star., 1921-10-30
WAHWC OVER SHESLAN
DECISION. CONDEMNED
Harden Regards New Economic Cooperation
As Way 7ovard European
Commonwealth
BY MACMILLAN HARDEN.
GeFmany's Foremost Publicist.

BY MACMILLAN HARDEN.
GsFmany's Foremost Publicist.
BY Cable to The star.
BERLIN, October 29.-When a man
has falsely announced his death six
times he should not be surprised II at
the seventh announcement people shook
their heads and said: Lets save our
tears for the next one.''
Ever since the treaty of Versailles was
signed Germany has repeatedly an
nounced Germany's death, her utter
ruin, her utter lack Of hope Of recovery.
The agreements at Versailles. at Spa,
at London and Geneva, the ultimatums
imposing the sanctions upon US. and
lastly, the supreme council decision as
to Upper Silesia, all have successfully
been proclaimed as death sentences.
These repeated obituaries no longer
convince. The hearer either does not
over this attack as you did the others
which you thought mortal" These sue
cessive tragedies without funerals ulti-
| mately become a farce.
Six governments (rather many for
thirty months) have made the same
would weaken and discredit the treaty
of Versailles by sxclaiming at every
step in it's execution. This is the end!"
AS consequence Of this constant
complaining, coupled with the repeated
death announcements, Germany's sever
trial district. has received less attention
| than karps air journey to his air castle
and other passing incidents. Yet the
fate Of one Of the two most wonderfully
organized Industrial areas in Europe Is
a thousand times more important than
Horthy or the amiable husband of the
ambitious and bold Queen Zita Of Bour-
bon Parma should inhabit the Budapest
palace for few hours or few days or
few months.
Meaning Of Decision.
II continent whose relatively rich
est states must beg in Washington for
a cancellation or a moratorium on
their debts were really SO stupid as
to take from an efficient administrator
such vital European resources as coal,
d nation which everywhere has proved
Inefficient, the continent would de-
serve the worst of fates and ought to
be punished like a perverse child.
But this is not what the leagues
decision means. Otherwise neither
tne prudent lSIlli nor tHe stat dtesildi
like Balfour would publicly praise the
justice of that decision.
The league. in short. has recognized
Poland's administrative incapacfty as
already demonstrated in Posen. West
Prussia, and the former Russian in
dustrial provinces. Consequently an
attempt at a joint economic control of
Upper Silesia has been made. To
prevent sundering of vital nerves
and veins. while at the same time
doing justice to the 40 per cent Polish
Inhabitants, an economic common
wealth has been decreed for fifteen
years. without customs and without
boundaries.
Yearn for Return to Order.
The success of this undertaking is
doubtful if Poland rules politically
over the chief cities. pits, foundrles
and factories. No honest friend of
under her rule since 1919 are ruined
and dirty and have gone centuries
backward. Even the Polish inhab-
itants Of these districts yearn for a
return to German administrative order.
1t was this yearning which induced
the league council to introduce the
idea of an economic commonwealth in
Silesia.
Perhaps the Poles. the value of
whose money testifies today the deep
est financial ruin, will finally COM
prehend that their country is doomed
if, instead of allying themselves with
German industry and order and Gre
ativeness, they turn against both Ger
many and Russia and, initiating
French suspicion, increase their arma-
ments extravagantly.
Scarcely anybody here believes that
the scheme Of economic cooperation in
Silesia was adopted to help Europe,
but see in 1t an intention to enrich
Poland at Germany's expense. Hence
the rather extraordinary readiness to
indorse the violent protests which
have been made against the decision.
These protests. while accepting the
political boundary as inevitable, re-
iect the recomm mendations for Ger
man-Polish industrial cooperation.
This IS like a boy who would rather
freeze than wear mended gloves.
Statesmen should be above such
childfshness.
This recommendation of co-opera-
ton Is the only thing which makes
the decision bearable for Germany.
II gone into whole-heartedly, the be-
ginnings of q genuine European COM
monwealth may be made.
GeFmany's Politics.
But with the Wirth government
protesting because it had hoped for
better results after it's sincere efforts
to execute the peace treaty, and with
the Berlin elections showing a