New-York tribune., 1921-01-18
The Problem of Silesia
Why Poland Claims Upper Silesia
pom Economic Grounds

10 the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: In your issue Of January |
read the account of an interview with
Senator Medill Mccormick, of Illinois.
do not know if the words of the Sena-
tor were exactly repeated by the repre-
sentative of The Tribune, but, in any
! case, l consider it my duty to state that
the question of Upper Silesia's relations
to Poland and Germany was presented
in light which convinces me that Sena-
tor Mccormick was perhaps somewhat,
i'll informed
AS the map of Europe has been trans
formed, and new nations and states
have arisen, it is important that they
| should all be guaranteed a more or less
equal economic force; if not kinetic, at
least potential. Only in this way can
the productive force, latent sometimes,
of certain nations be exploited to the
advantage of the whole world; only
then can we demand that they do not
lead an artificial existence in the hot
houses of phianthropc credits, as we'll
as state and commercial credits (of
course, with government guaranties).
Starting from this premise, it appears
to me that the question of Upper Silesia
should be considered from the point of
view of rational economic administra-
tion in Europe in general. I therefore
do not touch upon the question of the
Importance of Upper Silesia for Ger
man military aims, although military
experts do not agree with Senator Nc
Cormick that the Germans will not soon
be in position to carry on war Nor
do l go into the details of the matter
of the rights of the population in
Silesia, IS per cent of which is Polish
l will endeavor to reply solely to
the question: To whom is Upper Silesa
most necessary, and on which side lies
the most favorable perspective for its
development? Is it the German or the
Polish side?
Three principal branches of industry
are guiding factors in the economic life
of Upper Silesia: the coal industry, the
iron industry and the zinc industry.
In 1913 the total amount of coal, lig-
mite and coke consumed by all three
parts of Poland together was 19, ,445 900
tons. Of this quantity Upper Siesia
furnished 7,7o9,541 tons, or 4o.5 per
cent. 1t is, therefore, clear that even
with the normal pre-war consumption
CT coal, Ignite and coke Poland cannot
exist without Upper Silesia.
At the same time, in 1918, the Ger
mans produced 19OO00,0oO tons, and the
consumption of coal in Germany in 1918
amounted to 155, 100000 tons Taking
into account territorial changes and de-
ducting the consumption of Upper Sile-
sia as plebiscite area, we get the pre-
war figure of coal consumption in Ger
many for the present territory of the
German state--that is. 140,000,OOO tons,
to cover which there was production
OF 144 100000 tons. Considering that
German industry is ut present far from
it's normal production, the above pro-
duction suffices to cover not only the
needs of Germany but also the a.
100000 tons which they should furnish
to the Allied Powers according to agree
ment, especially if we take into con-
sideration the continuation of the pres
ent export from Upper Silesia to Ger
many to the extent of 100000 tons,
as we'll as the enormous development in
the production of brown coal and the
briquettes manufactured thcrefrom dur
ing the war
In relation to the present consump-
tion Of coal, the export of coal from
Upper Silesia 10 Germany amounts to
hardly 80 per cent and is Of small