Evening star., 1935-01-15
Germany Gets the Saar.

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Basin have voted that the territory
shall revert to its ancient German
political allegiance. The plebiscite, so
ably and fairly conducted under
League of Nations auspices, has re-
suited in landslide victory in favor
Of the Reich. The vote to return the
Saar to Germany was 477,119; to re-
tain the status quo League admins
tration), 46,513, and for annexation
to France, 2,124. Germany thus re-
ceived, roundly, sO8 per cent of the
votes cast. Her triumph, of landslide
proportions, is indisputable.
The League of Nations presumably
will now proceed without delay to take
those formal steps necessary for resti-
tuition of the Saar to German control.
Geneva is frankly gratified that the
vote was so manifestly prof. German
Had any considerable minority voted
for the status quo-a large vote favor
ing France was never a serious pos
sibility-the League would have faced
an extremely embarrassing situation.
There was strong probability that,
had Germany carried the plebiscite by
merely go or 10 per cent instead of
the wide margin of more than 80 per
cent by which she actually won, the
League would have felt constrained to
prolong its supervision of the Basin.
1t is not difficult to imagine the re-
sentiment which such a decision would
have aroused in Germany, and the
perpetual peril to peace that would in
evitably have ensued.
Happily. such a contingency no
longer exists. The people of the Saar,
under conditions that assured, as
completely as humanity possible, an
untrammeled manifestation of public
sentiment. have expressed an unmis-
taxable desire for incorporation with
in Hitler's Reich. Nad boasts that
the Saar would leave no doubt as to
where its sympathies lie have been
incontestably vindicated. The out
side world now waits anxiously to see
whether Germany, in the presence
Of so unquestionable triumph. will
comfort herself with that restraint
and magnanimity for which the sit
uation calls.
Public opinion abroad has long in
clined to look upon the recovery of
the Saar as Germany's legitimate
due. It would unhesitatingly con-
denim ruthless Nazi reprisals against
the plebiscite minority. That many
residents of the Saar who dared to
vote for the status quo or for France
fear German vengeance is indicated
by reports of wholesale exodus al
ready in progress across Saar from
tiers. Roman Catholics, Jews, Com
munists, Socialists and others who for
various reasons opposed the extension
Of Nad rule to the Saar made up the
ten per cent that voted against it.
Return of the Saar to Germany
will automatically destroy one of the
gravest menaces to European peace
since the World War. France is
plainly prepared to look upon it as a
closed incident. Because of the in
terdependence of Saar coal and Lor-
raine iron, Germany and France have
material reason for converting the
basin into an area capable Of serving
as friendly link between the two
countries. 1t is the earnest hope of
war-weary mankind that such may
promptly turn out to be the final and
lasting result of the plebiscite in the
Saar. In that event, it will be a VIC
tory not only for Germany, but for the
cause of peace, for which all the world
will be grateful.