San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-11
Is Better Off Than Any Of
Her Neighbors and Bust
ness Growing.
TRADE IS DEVELOPED
Polish Interests Active
Both in Government and
in Industries.
BY WILLIAM 4. NASH.

Light and the Chicago Daily News.
Danzig, March 10. - Predictions
made four years ago at the Paris
free state would become key to the
commerce of the Slavic east have
come true with surprising rapidity.
Tonnage in the port has increased
over the largest annual figure at
tanned before the war. Business has
prospered exceedingly. Optimism now
prevails where pessimism formerly
held sway. Although various eco
nomic problems remain to be solved
for instance the creation of stable
monetary unit to replace the fluctuat-
ing mark-it can be said in general
that Danzig is better off than any of
her big neighbors, Germany, Poland
or Russia, and that in time she may
grow into the position Of a second
Switzerland.
Torn against her will from the
body polite of Germany in 1919, Dan
zig was erected by the Allies into
so-called free state, embracing 300,-
900 souls, to act as a port for Po-
land, a nation of 30,000,000 inhabi-
tants that then enjoyed no access to
the sea. Since its population was al
most entirely German, however, Dan
zig was not annexed outright to Po-
land. For a time mutual jealousy and
distrust prevailed over all other re-
lations between the two. Regulation
of some of the vexatious details per-
tanning to this quarrel is responsible
for most of the material prosperity
now beginning to appear.
How Danzig Is Governed.
theoretically, Danzigers take pains
to announce, the free state has been
recognized as an independent nation.
This triumphant victory was gained
only last month at the meeting of the
council of the League of Nations in
Paris. Practically, however, the tiny
state stands in close touch with her
bigger southern neighbor. Since July.
1922, she has formed part of the
Polish customs union. Her foreign
affairs and her railway administraI
ton are in Polish hands. Her harbor
affairs come before a board composed
of five Polish members, five DAN
zig members and a Swiss president
At the head of the government
stands high commissioner appointed
by the League of Nations. His job
practically narrows down to that of
mediator. Under him to carry out
the actual affairs of government are
a volkstag or national assembly, a
senate or executive body and a presi-
dent or head of the senate. These
together form a political organization
patterned after that of the Hanseatic
trading cities in the middle ages. Po-
land Is represented by a high COM
missioner, who watches jealousy over
the interests of his country. Helm
rich Sahm, president Of the senate, is
a picturesque figure both in charac-
ter and physique, who in turn has
filled the roles of Prussian minor of
fetal, burgomaster and German food
administrator in Warsaw. He is not
a Danziger. Ambitious and yet OBJ
jective, he enjoys the distinction of
figuring on the Polish black list of
war criminals.
In 1912 less than 1000, 900 tons of
shipping passed through Danzig port,
while in 1922 nearly 1,500. 900 tons
called there. Imports of foodstuffs
for Poland which played such a prom
inent role in armistice time have now
dwindled to nothing and have been re-
placed largely BY wood exports from
big international business built up
in this line by Poland within the last
three years. Furthermore, nearly
1000 loaded freight cars passed
through Danzig in 1922 on their way
to Russia. There are encouraging
symptoms of further development of
the Russian trade.
Colonel Reynier, president of the
harbor board. hopes to divert to his
port much Of the cotton trade from
America which now enters Europe
via Bremen and Hamburg. Ships
bringing. cotton can carry back emf
grants, he says.
One of the most noticeable fea-
lures To traveller returning to Dan