Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-26

Continued From First Page.)
corridor on their own initiative? Here
in, it is frequently said, lies the real
danger.
Furthermore, the League covenant
expressly provides for the possibility of
treaty revision If 1t can be shown that
the present situation Is anywhere no
longer workable. The British govern
ment seems rather to expect that 1t Is
in the League Council that Germany
will one day raise the corridor Ques-
ton.
Be this as 1t may. the issue Is al
ready acute. The Poles are worried
and the Germans determined. The
German point of view seems TO De
roughly as follows:
The Poles are backward people
compared with the Germans, and the
Polish state is an anomaly and an
anachronism. To cede any German
territory to such people and such a
state under any conditions IS an out
rage. In any case, the peace treaty is
illegal, because 1t gave the corridor to
Poland In defiance Of the principle of
self-determiarition and without plebis-
cite.
Danzig Is German.
The inhabitants of the corridor, al
though a majority speak Polish, are
German In sentiment Existence Of The
corridor has meant economic ruin for
East Prussia. DanZig, made free city
German town and thoroughly German
in population.
The enclave In Germany territory
created by the corridor Is an indigntty
unworthy of acceptance by great
state and great people. Furthermore,
it makes the defense of East Prussia
against either Poland or Russia inn
possible and almost paralyzes the mill
tary action of Germany In the East.
In short, the situation is unjust, UNI
endurable and must be changed, either
by collapse of the Polish state, which
some Germans still predict; by a peace
full arrangement between Poland and
Germany or by a war between Poland
and possibly Russia, which Germany
would certainly not seek, but which
Germany might easily profit by.
To this the, Poles reply that while
they admire certain German traits. they
are far from admiring all Of them and
consider that on the whole the Poles
are at least the equals of the Germans.
II, meanwhile, Poland Is less developed
than Germany, it Is because the country
was brutally partitioned over a CEN
fury ago among Prussia, Russia and
their patriotism and sense Of nation
atty.
Trade Is Quadrupled.
The corridor was given to Poland by
the Versailles treaty because a country
of 100000 people needs an outlet to
the sea. The inhabitants of the cor
ridor, moreover, are Polish and sent
Polish deputies regularly to the Ger
man Reichstag before the World War.
Nearly 100000 tons of goods,
amounting to nearly half of Poland's
ridor last year. Czechoslovakia alone
sent 100000 tons of goods through the
corridor. thus avoiding German terri
tory. Accordingly, Danzig's trade has
quadrupled as compared with that Of
1918.
Not only Is the corridor vital to Po-
land, but 1t does not really hamper
Germany's communications with East
Prussia. There are no passport or Gus
toms formalities. German trains cross
sent through. An average Of 100000
persons thus cross the corridor yearly
and the traflc today between East Prus-
STA and the rest OF Germany Is double
that in 1918.
In any case, If the Polish corridor
we're taken from Poland and returned
to Germany, then a German corridor
would be created along the sea, cutting
off Poland and placing 1t, politically |
and economically, entirely under Ger
man control.
Germany's real aim, according to
Polish fear, is not so much the recov-
cry of the corridor as the destruction
of Poland itself, and the Poles cite
various German speeches and news
In any case, there apparently Is no
more prospect Of Poland's renouneing
the corridor without q war than OF
Germany's resigning itself to permanent
loss of this region. Under these cir
curnstances solution for the time be-
ing at least appears difacult, not to
say impossible.
- fEAuxStnisk. ieAn.l