Evening star., 1952-11-30
Suor-
Voters Being Urged
To Boycott Polls
By Belmont Fories

need no get out the VOUe campaign,
are going to the polls today with a
don't bother voting" campaign in
full operation.
The tiny state, German in popula-
ton but French in It's economic and
political ties, is electing its 50-member
Landtag, or parliament. When the
votes are counted, the significant
thing will be not who wins but how
many qualified Saarlanders did not
vote.
Because of an unpopular Quirk in
the Saar constitution of 1947, no one
can be on the ballot unless he favors
continued cooperation with France.
Pro-German Saarlanders simply will
have no one to vote for. So the fact
that 95 per cent voted in 1947 will
be an indication of the extent of
pro-German sentiment. The lower
the percentage in today's election,
the higher the tide of Germany's
fortunes in the rich little iron-and-
steel basin. A relatively small voting
turnout can be taken only as another
setback in the delicate moves toward
European unity.
Compromise Foils
Responsible leaders in both France
and Germany have tried, without sue
cess, to compromise the issue. No
German politician can afford to for
get that the people of the Saar are
German. No French politician can
forget that the loss of the Saar's
coal and, steel would wreck Frances
economy.
Geographically the Saar is highly
industrialized coal-rich river valley
just east of Luxembourg on the north
east border of France. Less than
1000 square miles in area, it has a
population of 950000.
Economically the Saar produces 26
per cent as much coal and q per
cent as much steel as all France.
With that coal and steel available,
Frances heavy industry just about
matches Germanys. Without it,
France falls far behind
Politically the Saar is German
community separated from the rest
OF West Germany, autonomous in all
internal affairs but completely inte-
grated into the French economy.
9-to-1 Vote
For the record. its citizens accepted
their present status voluntarily and
overwhelmingly when they voted by
better than 8 to / in October, 1947.
for Landtag candidates pledged to
economic union with France. Two
Communists won seats as the sole
representatives of German national
ism.
The Saar constitution, adopted q
short time later, makes France re-
Sponsible for the areas defense and
foreign relations, and declares it
Independent of Germany. In March,
1850, France got 50-year lease on
the Saar coal mines subject to rati-
f1cation of German peace treaty.
A somewhat similar situation ex-
listed between 1920 and 1885, when
the Saar was united economically
with France under a League of Ma
tions administration. Under the
treaty of Versailles France received
the Saar coal mines as compensation
for German destruction of mines in
Northern France during World War I.
Germany was allowed to buy the
mines back when a plebiscite in 1885
resulted in an overwhelming vote by
the Saarlanders for a return to Hit
ler's Reich.
Appeal to Pocketbook
When the same Saarlanders voted
for economic union with France IL
years later. the appeal was to the
pocketbook, not the heart. Destruc-
tion of factories and homes had been
heavy in World War II. The Saar
operates most efficiently as an eco
nomic unit with Luxembourg and
French Lorraine. French control
promised jobs and prosperity.
That promise has been more than
fulfilled. Industry operates at ca
pacity and business is booming. The
Saar shares in French revenues in
proportion to its population, but it
has neither war debts nor military
expenses. Few areas in Europe are
as well off.
Still the Saarlander is uneasy.
Though his interests lie with France,
he is still German. Pressures from
the German side Of the border have
been growing as politicians of all
parties attack the pro-French Saar
regime and demand return of the
area.
Johannes Hoffman, an anti-Nazi
refugee journalist who returned to
become the Saars Prime Minister.
is bitterly assailed as traitor and
Stooge for the French Ambassaor,
Gilbert Grandval, a resistance leader
who came to the Saar with the COM
bat troops and has directed French
activities ever since.
Church's Position
In the pro-German "don't vote"
protest against the Saar constitu-
tion'S loyalty provision" even the
church has taken hand.
If anything like SO per cent stay
away from the polls or cast in
valid ballots today, Germany's Chan
cellor Adenauer will be in a position
to press for an election with full
rights for the banned German par
ties.
The real danger in the situation
lies in the threat to efforts for
European unity. DR.. Adenauer now
appears to have sufficient support to
assure ratification of the Bonn peace
contract and the European defense
community treaty. But he does not
have the backing of his own Free
Democrats for his favorite approach
to the Saar "Europeaniza-
tion"-because that would involve
separation of the area from Germany.
ToIks Collapse