Evening star., 1939-10-06

0een developed CnrOuSN nuuQTeuS OI
years of hard toll, some of them
being in a most flourishing condi-
ton. Today, after the elapse Of 20
years, they are at point Of gradu-
ally turning into steppes again.
The Vistula, the river whose estu-
ary has always been OF such tre-
mendous importance for the Polish
government, owing to lack of any
and all care, is now already insult
able for any real traffic and. de-
pending on the season, is either an
unruly stream or dried-up rivulet.
Towns as we'll as villages are in
q state of neglect. The roads, with
very few exceptions, are badly out
of repair and in terrible condition.
Any one who travels in that coun-
try for two or three weeks will get
the proper idea Of the classical Ger
man term "Polnische wirtshaft."
meaning Polish state of affairs!"
In spite of the unbearable condi-
tions prevailing in that country
Germany endeavored to establish
peaceful relations with it. During
the years 1888 and 1884 endeavored
to find some equitable compromise
between our national interests and
our desire for the maintenance of
peace with that country. There was
q time, when Marshal Pilsudski was
still alive, when 1t seemed possible
for this hope to materialize were it
OnlV to q modest extent.
Half Million Germans
Forced to Leave Homes.
Unlimited patience and still
greater self-restraint were called
for because many of the regional
Polish administrative officials took
the understanding between Germany
and Poland to be merely license
for the persecution and annihilation
OF the Germans in Poland, with even
less risk. In the few years up to
1922 more than one and a half mil
lion Germans had been forced to
leave their homes.
They were hunted out, often with
out being able to take even their
most necessary clothing. When, in
1888. the Olso territory went to
Poland, they used the same methods
against the Czechs who lived there.
Often within q few hours. many
thousands of these had to leave their
working places. their homes, their
villages and towns at the shortest
notice. without being allowed to take
anything more with them than q
suitcase or a little box with cloth
ing.
Things like this went on for years,
and for years we looked on. always
striving to attain some Improvement
in the lot of the unhappy Germans
living there by establishing closer
relations. 1t was. however impos-
slble to overlook the fact that every
German attempt thereby to secure
the removal of these intolerable con-
ditions was taken by the Polish rulers
to be nothing more than a sign of
weakness. If not of stupidity.
When the Polish government pro-
ceeded in thousand ways gradually
to subjugate Danzig as well. I en-
deavored, by means of practical pro-
posals, to secure solution whereby
Danzig, in accordance with the
wishes OF its population. could be
nationally and politically united
with Germany without impairing
the economic needs and so-called
rights Of Poland.
If any one alleges that these were
ultimative demands, that allegation
is lie
Proposals Of March, 1899,
Were Discussed With Beck.
The proposals for a solution, as
communicated to the Polish govern
ment in March, 1899, were nothing
but the suggestions and the ideas
already discussed long ago between
myself and the Polish Foreign Minis
ter Beck, except for the fact that in
the spring of 1889 I thought I would
be able to facilitate the acceptance
of these proposals by the Polish
government in the face of their own
public opinion by the offer to nom
cede to them as an equivalent.
The fact that the Polish govern
ment at that time refused to con-
slider discussion of these proposals
was due to two reasons: For one
thing. the inf1amed Chauvinist pow-
ers behind the government never in
tended to solve the problem of Dam
zig, but on the contrary already lived
in the hope, eXpounded later in pub
llcations and speeches, of acquiring
territory from the Reich far beyond
the bounds of Danzig; in fact, they
hoped to be in position to attack
and conquer.
These aims, far from stopping at
East Prussia, were climaxed by a
flood of publications and a continu-
ous sequence of speeches. addresses,
resolution, etc, in addition to the
incorporation of East Prussia, for
the annexation of Pomerania and
Silesia, the Oder represented the
minimum of frontier claims and
finally even the Elbe was described
as the natural dividing line between
Germany and Poland
These demands, which today may
appear crazy, but which were then
presented with fanatical serious
ness, were based in a simply ridicu-
lous manner on the assumption Of
Polish mission of civilization"
and declared justified because they
were supposed to be capable of full
f1llment in view of the strength of
the Polish Army.
Polish General Called
German Army Inefficient.
While I was inviting the then
Polish foreign minister to take part
in conference for the discussion of
our proposals. the Polish military
generals were already writing about
the inefficiency of the German
Army, the cowardice of the German
soldiers, the inferiority of the Ger
man weapons, the obvious superiori-
ty of the Polish forces and the Ger
talnty, in case of war. of defeating
the Germans at the gates of Berlin
and of annihilating the Reich.
The man, however, who intended,
as he expressed it, to hack the Ger