Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-11
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
IS WORLDS CORDIAN KNOT
Problem of Restoring Europe's Balance
Is Discussed as HOOver-Laval
Farley Is Near.

covering the DanZig corridor even for
such a short time as 10 years.
The corridor is of great political value
to the French and the Poles as long
as both nations think in terms of war.
When the makers Of the Versailles
treaty created it they had the idea of
| gripping Germany politically. The
Poles have been told repeatedly that
their independence would be threatened
| If the Germans were ever to recover
that narrow strip of land; they actual
ly believe this now. In the course of
these last II years, however, public
opinion in France seems to have
| changed. Outside of some out-and-out
nationalist the French people on the
whole don't care much about the cor
ridor. The former prime minister, M.
Raymond Poincare, has said once that
he had an open mind about the cor
ridor.
Last Summer, during Secretary Slim
sons visit to France, NJ. Laval has re-
peated this statement. The great French
| steel industrialistS, however, have i'm
portant economic interests in Poland
and through the Partisan press, which
they control to a great extent, are
threatening to throw M. Laval out of
| ONCE should he agree to Germany re-
covering the Polish corridor. The Poles
!
have informed the French government
that they are prepared to defend their
treaty rights by arms. They say that
they are willing to fight the Germans
unaided by their allies should France
declare herself npnopposed to Germany
recovering the DanZig corridor. Conse-
quently the situation appears confused
and difficult, Yet there are certain signs
that some sort of compromise might
hA
that 1t Is vitality necessary to reconcile
Germany by ending a situation which
many consider absurd
In diplomatic quarters 1t Is consid-
cred possible that the French premier
would agree to take up this matter with
his colleagues and with the leading
members Of the French Parliament on
his return to Paris. The suggestion
which Is expected to be put before M.
Laval Is the following: The German
government to be given the sovereignty
over the narrow strip of land known
as the Polish corridor The Poles to
maintain possession Of the railway line
they have built in order to be able to
convey the products from the interior
to the sea and given a guarantee that
at no time and under no circumstances
will the German government interfere
with the free passage to and from the
seaport Of Gdnia, which has been built
since the war as Poland's outlet to the
sea.
May Form Customs Union.
The German government is convinced
that such an arrangement will, in the
end, prove so effective that within q
few years Germany and Poland, ut
present antagonistic, may agree to form
a custc ms union such as the Germans
suggested to the Austrians last Spring.
This thought has been communi-
Gated to the French and the American
governments, and Is being studied at
the present moment by the diplomats of
both countries. OF course, it would be
rash to expect any definite agreement
while M. Laval Is in the United States
1t Is also impossible for the two gov
ernments to agree about something that
concerns principally Poland. It has
been suggested here that should the
French premier continue to have IAN
open mind on the question of the Pol
iSh corridor. the matter would be taken
up Immediately with the Polish govern
ment.
If some agreement Is reached. the
official suggestion for a revision of the
Versailles treaty would come sfrom the
Polish government itself. Whether Po-
land will see the necessity CT making
this sacrifice without some substantial
compensation Is impossible to say at
the present moment. Some of our dip
lomats feel that, outside the strong
point CT the sanctity Of the Versailles
treaty, Poland has few arguments in
favor of her maintaining this strip of
land which is preventing the political
and economic rehabilitation of Europe
Consequently, If it was agreed to put
the whole matter before an unbiased
and impartial tribunal it is likely that
the corridor would be restored to Ger
many. Premier Laval, however, in
order to undertake such an important
and dangerous step, must be in a posi-
ton to tell his people that the danger
of another 1914 Is removed; that the
restored German territorial unity does
not endanger France any longer. And
he can tell his people this only II he
can announce that the United States is
willing to step in in case of imminent
war danger. Whether the President and
the American people would consider
taking such step Is debatable ques-
ton. President Hoover has repeatedly
stated that this country Is not willing
to enter into any obligations which might
entangle US in the European waSpS
nest. In the last few months he has re-
peatedly said that the United States
cannot and will not give France either
security or a consultative pact. But |
has he an open mind regarding q gen. |
eral pact Of consultation or a pact Of |
collective security based on the removal !
Of the main cause of trouble, the Dan |
zig corridor? This is what we will find !
out in the near future.