Evening star., 1932-11-21
SAAR VOTE HINTS
OF GERMAN UNITY
Party Favoring Return of
Rich Area Controlled by
France Is Victorious.
BY the Associated Press.

by tfle ASSOCldtSQ
SAARBRUECKEN, Saar, November
21.-The German residents of this
League Of Nations supervised state have
been confident always that ID will be
rejoined to the Fatherland in the
plebiscite of 1885 and today they have
a remarkable election result to which
to point for proof of their contention.
Under terms Of the treaty of Ver-
sailles a plebiscite was fixed for Janu-
airy, 1885, at which time the population
of the Saar region will make its choice
Of three alternativeS-reunion With
Germany. union with France or con-
tinuation Of League administration.
A good deal OF quiet spade work has
been done on both sides, but now the
Germans point with jubilation to the
elections of the past week, in which
the Francophile party won only Of
the 4,30l communal counsel0rs' man.
dates. The National Socialists. whose
strong nationalist feeling for Germany
has often been expressed by their lead
er, Adolf Hitler, won an overwhelming
victory.
France Controls Coal.
Under the terms of the treaty Of
Versailles, League commission of five
men, appointed annually, rules over the
Saar. France, under the treaty. was
given exclusive rights TO exploit the
coal mines of the Saar Basin-the
value of which has made it a great
prize for either country. aside from
sentimental feelings Of the population.
Germans continue to work for victory
in the plebiScite, despite the advantage
the French have in strengthening their
mining and industrial interests in this
former German province. It has long
been the great prize of the Rhineland
for the two historic rival nations. 1t
was near this industrial city that the
opening engagement Of the Franco
Prussian War of 1870 was fought.
Although having a population Of
| 10000 (the 1927 census)-about the
same as the State of Maine-the Saar
comprises only 1888 square mileS-not
even three-quarters Of the area of
Rhode Island. But its potential wealth
Is great. 1t Is estimated it will yield
1920, ,000, 900 tons of coal. The steel
and pig iron output is correspondingly
great and there are important rlauu-
factures of tapestry and leather goods
in this city.
France Demands Payment.
The French Sarre Society has already
put up a thesis that a precondition for
the holding Of plebiscite must be a
payment by Germany of the value Of
the Saar coal and iron mines. This de-
mand the Germans have rejected with
Indignation on the ground that no one
can compel them to pay for what Is
their own.
In region adjoining a largely arti-
ficial frontier racial traits are apt to
become somewhat mixed. Moreover, by
reason of the proximity, there always
has beeen lively intercourse across the
h1y.e IivaA 1Rrrt
admitted the possibility of losing their
erstwhile province to the French in ad-
dition to Alsace Lorraine.
In numerous German cities Saar So
cietieS have sprung up with the object OF
keeping the recovery of the region well
before the public.
These federated societies recently
held their twelfth annual meeting at
Coblence once more to assert Germany's
rights to the territory.
Won Papen Urges Return.
Chancellor Franz von Papen, since
his marriage with Martha Won BOch,
daughter Of Commercial Counselor Rene
Won Boch of Mettlach on the Saar
River, has evinced strong interest in
the fate of the region, which he knows
well, and of which he feels himself
native In message Of greeting which
he sent to the federated societies ne
said:
"That the Saar region is German and
means to remain German, its population
has shown in countless ways during the
past IS years. The separation from the
Fatherland, dictated by Versailles, was
one of the most uncalled-for impositions
of that treaty Popular sentiment IN
the Saar is unmistakably for reunion
with the Fatherland, and wish your
movement complete success"