The Washington herald., 1921-03-23
The SiIesian PIebiseite.

man majority somewhat in excess of the inn
ported German vote. 1t is probable that this
vote and the influence of these Germans turned the
scale against Poland. However, without them, any
majority of the total Poland could have secured
would have been too meager to have given a margin
for future SAFETY
Under the treaty rules the right to vote was
given regardless of sex, to those years old and
over who "were born in the area or who have been
domiciled there since date to be determined by
the commission .(allisdl which shall not be subse-
quent to January I, 1910 who have been expelled
by the German authorities and have not retained
their domiciie there"
1t IS probable that at the time of the treaty,
il was sbeifcved this was favorable to Poland as
great numbers of Poles had been expelled from
Silesia ~ Prussia from time to time. Unfortun-
ately, most of these had come to this country and
too far away to be recalled, while those Ger
mans who had come and gone from year to year,
were near at hand
But the treaty also provides voting by COM
munes, or districts, and the allied commission in
porting the VOTE is to recommend "the line which
ought to be adopted as the frontier of Germany in
Upper Slesia," regard being had "to the wishes of
the inhabitants shown-by the vote and to the geo
graphical and economic conditions of the locality"
Quite naturally the influx of former German
residents chiefly to the larger cities and indus
trial centers less remote from the Prussian bound
ary. These went Overwhelmingly German a rule,
while the more rural parts where agriculture pre-
dominates and the less developed mineral districts
gave their preference to Poland These latter
also largely border the established Polish border
1t is highly improbable under all the conditions,
both as the plebscite and economic that the Su-
preme Council will treat Silesia unit and the
vote as total Rather the vote will be considered
as Of districts the geography of the country will be
a factor, and, even more, the fact that coal is a
positive essential to Polands future industrial de-
veiopment as well as the support of her present
industries Outside this area she has very little
known coal resources.
Based upon the vote alone, she would get the
Southeastern section with Rybnik Pless and Tarno-
witz among the richest mine areas, and all the
Southeastern triangle, which also includes undeve
oped mineral areas. This may well be extended to
include at least half of the total mineral which
all lies in the southeast and closest to the Polish
border with the largest proportion of purely Polish
citizens. In the final, such division might be
better for Poland than to have secured the entire
province by a close vote. So.
1.-THE vote as a whole shows the weakness of a
plebscite when based upon ethnic racial ties 1t
Demonstrates that frequently, if not a rule the
stronger bonds are economic and political. The
greater financial strength of Germany, freedom from
military service, more assured employment, gener-
ay more settled political conditions, all of these
andslike influences used to the limit by the
Germans and thousands of votes which on
ethnic grounds alone belonged to Poland
IAN incidental result of the vote will be to ease
mp Yhe reparstions situation. Germany has based
much of her claim of inability the allied de-
mands upon the possible loss of Silesia. Now that
shewill recover at least the main part of it. includ-
ing the greater industrial section and sufficient
mineral area to assure an abundant supply OF this
conamodity she may light. Indeed much
Of her obstnacy may haYe been for its effect on the
allies in gaining freedom of influence, and not too
strict ruling on her imported vote
.