Evening star., 1925-08-18

Some 5000 or 10000 Germans are
being deported from Poland to Ger
many, in accord with the treaty of
| Versailles and the later treaty OF
! Vienna The deportations, according
| to reports from Germany, are under
! conditions of great hardship. No pro
| visions had been taken in Germany
| to receive the immigrants, for they
| had been assured by German Social
! lists not to worry about the possibility
| of deportation, since there would prob
ably be no deportations. According
| to some versions mot published from
Germany, 1t was the full expectation
of the German politicians that within
| two or three years the Fatherland
| would again extend over Upper Silesia
! (now a part of Poland by reason Of
| the Versailles treaty and the plebi-
scitel, hence there would never be
need of German migration.
| Der Tag" was persistently prophe-
| sled, when Germany would regain all
| she had lost in the. World War, and
even up to the eve of the day for the
forced expulsion the Socialists lulled
to sleep their nationals in Poland with
| fancied security. These Germans
therefore persisted in remaining in
Poland, with no heed TO the fact that
! they had definitely and voluntarily
elected to remain German citizens and
! thereby obligated themselves to mi
| CRATE.
Under the terms of the Versailles
! treaty article 81, it was provided
| that the German states of Pomerania
and Posnania should become a part
! of Poland. Thereby, all residents then
| living in that territory became auto
| matically Polish citizens, unless with
| in two years-not later than January
| 10, 1920-they exercised their option
| to remain German citizens, agreeing
| to migrate before August l, 1925, for
| those who owned no real estate and
| not later than January 1, 1926, for
| holders of real property. All movable
property could be taken along or
shipped out without taxation.
1t has been reported in dispatches
| that almost an equal number of Poles
residing in Germany have been de-
| ported to Poland. Sometimes 1t has
been explained that this was done in
reprisal against the expulsions of
Germans; it has also been explained
| that no reprisal was intended.
y X X x
1t is officially stated that about
100000 Germans living in territory
which passed from Germany to Po-
| land elected to become Polish citizens,
and about 10000 or 600.0 900 Poles who
| lived within the boundaries OF terri
tory remaining in Germany became
German citizens. In neither of these
cases have the people been disturbed
| by the emigration Stipulations.
| Anticipating the emigration re-
quirements of non-German people re-
| tanning Polish citizenship, the Polish
government and Polish communities
began a year ago the work of welcom-
| ing their compatriots back to Poland.
| ALI Polish consulS were active in
gathering the emigrants together in
parties OF 800 to 1000 and providing
| them with trains to carry them
| across the border. There they were
met by organized welfare committees,
| which looked after their comfort.
| Bands greeted the emigres and patri-
otic speeches thrilled them with well
coming sentiments. After the prelimf-
nary welcomes, employment commit
tees sought work for the newcomers.
| In every way they were made to feel
that the Homecoming was a matter OF
rejoicing, not of woe.
In this way, according to Polish
| authority, all Poles were taken out of
German jurisdiction before the time
| limit expired, so that It has not been
possible for Germany to make any re-
| prisals, since there are no Poles in
Germany except those who are nat
| uralized German citizens not subject
to deportation.
| The details of methods and regula-
| tions covering the interchange of ma
| tionals, according to the provisions
| of the Versailles treaty, were worked
out in a special treaty between Poland
and Germany, made in Vienna Au-