Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-04-19
Errors as to Denmark
And Germany Corrected

Permit me to protest against some
grossly misleading statements con-
corning the relation of Denmark and
Germany contained in Constantine
Browns column. This Changing
World" in The Star Of April II.
First misstatement-"Den .
was forced by the allies after the
World War to accept slice Of Ger
many" Denmark was not forced to
accept q slice Of Germany; on the
contrary, the reunion Of the Danish
part of Slesvig with Denmark had
during so years Of German suppress
sion been longed for and worked for
by the Danes In German captivity,
eagerly backed by the mother coun-
try, and was, when effectuated in
1920. celebrated as one Of the hap
piest events in the life Of the nation.
Second misstatement-'Th pru-
dent Danes refused the large slice the
allies offered them and accepted only
the Slesvig Province, which had been
Danish until 1864, when it was
lost to Prussia after the Prusso-
Danish War" The facts are these
In 1854 Denmark lost to Prussia not
only Slesvig. whose population was
mainly Danish. but also some other
provinces, whose population was main
ly German. When In the Fall Of
1918 the German Empire collapsed
the Danes in Slesvig, as well as the
Danish government, Immediately acted
in order to obtain reunion on basis
of the Wilsonian idea of national self
determination. H. P. Hansen, Danish
representative IN the German Reich
stag, raised in Berlin the demand for
a reunion. while the government Of
Denmark communicated its wishes to
the allies. recommending a plebiscite
en- bloc in North Slesvig designated
as Zone - and community ballot
in Central Slesvig designated as Zone
y. Some hyper nationalistic circles
in Denmark were eager to gain also
the southern part of Slesvig, which is
almost purely German, and persuaded
the Peace Conference In Versailles to
provide for a plebiscite in a third
zone-a provision which was later
dropped. The result of the plebiscite
was that the first zone went to Den
mark, with rs per cent of the votes,
while the second zone went to Ger
many, with 80 per cent of the votes.
Thus Denmark did not refuse any
offer from the allies, but accepted that
part of Slesvig-and only that-to
which she was entitled on basis of
honorable principles.
Third misstatement-"But believing
that it never pays to get something for
nothing they (the Danes paid
for Slesyig in hard cash" Den
mark did not pay for the return Of
SleSvig as such, but naturally some
financial transactions were involved in
the transfer of the new territory to
the sovereignty of Denmark The
Danish government, for instance, had
to pay the German government for
German state-owned property in Sles-
Wig. In order to meet these obliga-
tions, Denmark did not turn over to
Germany" the s25.000,000 obtained by
the sale Of the Virgin Islands, but ar
ranged in August-September, 1919, for
a loan of 145,000,000 crowns. The
problem in Slesvig. it should be re-
membered, was not that of conquest
but that of rational settlement of ma
tional adherence according to the de-
sires Of the population in question.
Fourth misstatement-"The Danes
are not anxious to keep that newly
acquired territory-although it was
originally part and parcel of their
country" The authors basis for this
highly provocative assertion is strange
indeed, since anybody familiar with
Danish conditions should know that
the entire population of Denmark, in
GLIDING the social democratic govern
ment, is Fundamentally and unequivo-
cally supporting their countrymen in
North Slesvig which does not any more
have the character Of q special prov
ince. but constitutes an integral part
Of the State of Denmark.
AS to Denmark's reasons for not
backing the great powers rebuke to
Germany, these have been stated in
the words of DR.. p. Munich. Denmark's
foreign minister and spokesman at the
League:
1T is true that Germany recognizes
her act Is not in conformity with the
treaty. But she maintains that other
facts justified her action. We think
1t natural that the three powers
britain, France and italy, should ex-
press their opinion Of Germany's &C
ton. But we fear that to vote for the
resolution in its present form might
risk costing the League its character
as an instrument for peace"
JENS NYHOLM.