Evening star., 1934-07-29

Infinitely better governed than has
the rest Of Germany during the last
Is years
But better be badly governed by
our own kind than efficiently and
honestly governed by foreigners" say
the majority
Opposition Catholic Party.
Another factor that is entering the
picture Is the creation Of an Opposi-
ton Catholic party. This group.
which incorporates peasants. work
ers, bourEeoise and inteliectuals, as
well as many refugees who have en-
tered the district from Germany. is
definitely pledged 10 the status quo'
program. 1t will cooperate with any
other group - Communist. Social
Democrats or even pro-FTench, which
holds identical views.
The status quo" advocates are
winning considerable support in both
German and French circles. and also
in other European countries The
aim is TO make the Saar a bridge of
friendship between France and Ger
many. Frances impregnable string
Of forts. stretching from the Swiss
frontier to Luxembourg and Belgium,
skirts the Saar. Strategically the
district Is the most important link
in both Germany's and Frances de-
fensive and offensive military estab-
lishments. Already French troops are
being moved up into the newly COM
pleted defense Notifications around
Metz and when the plebiscite is over
the French will be on a war footing
along the Saar front. With an un-
fortified Saar territory between Ger
many and France and a customs
union between the Saar and Alsace
and Lorraine, one Of the principle
danger zones between the two coun-
tries would be eliminated.
The economical element enters
strongly into the picture also. The
Versailles treaty specifies that II the
Saar goes back TO Germany the Ger
man government must repurchase the
mines from the French government.
The price is TO be in gold francs
300, ,000, 900, according to a tentative
figure once advanced by Foreign Min
lister Stresemann and 400, ,000,0 900 ac-
cording to the French estimates.
The present German government
or any which may replace the Nazis-
viii find 1t very difficult to raise 300,-
000,000 gold francs, especially If they
attempt to produce hidden re-
sources" without having satisfactorily
arranged for defaulted private debts
and the recent forced moratoriums.
Besides, the Saar mines, with the pres
ent world crisis and the decreased de-
mand for coal on world markets, are
not nearly so valuable as they were
after the war.
Would Get Rid of Mines.
There is good reason to believe that
the French government would gladly
get rid of them, If only to remove a
source of competition to the all
French mines of Northern France.
If this were done 1t would be ruin
Gus for the territory, which, since
1871, when Alsace and Lorraine were
annexed by Germany, has had those
two provinces as its chief outlets.
The French also, for the last IS years,
have built up a valuable market
among the 800, 900 people in the Saar.
Practically no economic interchange
exists between the Saar and Germany.
On good authority it is learned that
the French government would be in
clined to make present of the mines
to any autonomous Saar state that is
created. II would be worth the price
to France to have Germany on the
farther frontier of the Saargebiet. A
neutral zone would be of incalculable
value in the way of security. Such
an inducement, If made officially.
would weigh heavily in the balance
The revenue from the mines would
practically support Saar govern
ment.
There is a possibility that the Vat
ican-which, as has been said be-
fore. holds the determining card-may
use the Saar as trading point in its
negotiations with the Reich. Rome
still plays a role in European politics
especially in Austria and the Saar-
and If the Vatican puts the case
squarely before any responsible Ber-
lin government it can easily show
where one little word might lose the
Saar for Germany. 1t would be fool
hardy for wilhelmstrasse not to deal
kindly with Rome on other matters,
such as the concordat.
In the meantime, the Plebiscite
Commission, appointed by the recent
League Council to see that free and
honest expression" is guaranteed the
voters. is swinging into action. The
has been divided into eight
districts. supervised by neutral off,
cials. John Hartigan of San Fran
cisco, Miss Sarah Wambaugh of Bos-
ton and M. Brody of New York are
among the Americans already mem
bers of the commission Two more
will be added shortly. The commits
Sioners are Victor Henri, Swiss; NJ.
de Jongh, Hollander, and M. Rodhe,
Swede.