Evening star., 1929-06-30
BY FRANK H. sIMoNps.

TIME aftermaths of the reparations
settlement and the British elec-
tion have served to obscure the
discussions of the League of Ma
tions Council meeting at Mad
rid. Yet the subject of this conference
remains the supreme problem of CO.
temporary Europe. Peace or war for a
future as long as can now b: calculated
must turn on the minority issue. And
beyond all question, Germany has cho-
sen to assume the role of champion OF
the so-called oppressed minorities."
The problem arises from the fact
that, in the Paris treaties and the gen.
eral relocation of European frontiers,
at least 10000 900 of people we're placed
under the rule of other races against
their will, and that for considerable
portion of these millions this transfer
has been followed by hardship and even
actual persecution.
1t is true that there is nothing very
new about this condition. Before the
war at least twice as many people suf-
fered far more acutely from similar con-
ditions. Then Poles, CZechs, Ruman-
ians, Italians, French, Danes and the
various tribes of the eastern shore of
the Baltic were the victims. Today it is
the Germans, Hungarians, BulgarianS,
Southern Slavs and Lithuanians who
change is only from one oppressor to
another.
Yet, in the case of the Germans and
OF the Hungarians, the settlement has
placed races enjoying a high degree of
civilization and accustomed over long
centuries to dominate under the con-
troll OF races as yet less advanced, at
least in economic civilization, and in
splred alike by the memory of long CEN
turies of oppression and the present
fear OF return to their old conditions
Many Races Mixed.
When the first effects of the peace
treaties were seen there was in MANY
quarters a widespread denunciation and
a loud demand for an immediate re-
vision of the process which was pic
turesquely described as the Balkaniza-
ton of Central Europe. Particularly in
the United States and Great Britain
there was the conviction that the new
treaties had been made with deliberate
purpose to subject minorities to alien
rule, primarily in order to weaken Ger
many, but also to fortify the states
that were the natural allies Of the VIC
torious coalition.
Slowly it has become clear that despite
any number of minor injustices, the
real difficulty arises from the fact that
there are large areas in Europe within
which the populations are racially SC
mixed that no solution of frontiers
could fail to create minorities. Thus
any ratification of frontiers would
amount to no more than the liberation
| OF Germans and Magyars, for ex-
ample, and the new enslavement o.
Poles, Rumanians and Southern Slays
It has been equally plainly disclosed
that revision Of the frontiers, so glibl,
talked about by so-called liberals ant
stfll q rather reckless program of Ger
tain British Laborites, can only b,
brought about after new war Poles
Czechs, Rumanians and Serbs are al
prepared to fight to the death rather
than resign a single acre of territory
included within their present frontiers
Revision of frontiers. therefore, a gen.
eral redrawing of the terms of ths
peace treaties, has been relegated tc
the limbo of the impossible projects oil
the immediate postwar period.
Nevertheless it is plain that two
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