Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-16
By CROSBY 5. MOVES

BY CROSBY s. MOVES
Foreign Correspondent Of Tne star
PARIs.-Just . year ago. when
French Premier Mendes-France was
receiving congratulations on his
agreement on the Saar with Ger
man Chancellor Adenauer. . spoil
sport threw him loaded question:
What would happen. asked the
reporter. II the Saarianders thenl-
selves turned the agreement down
In Q referendum on the Mendes-
Adenauer accord7
God knows replied the smiling
Premier. They should be 50 fool
tsh
Today the Saar,s fateful vote on
the Frances German agreement Is
upon us. Saarianders go to the
polls October %. and from all indie
cations they are being good deal
too foolish for comfort. Through
out most Of the three-naonth pre-
vote campaign defeat has seemed
certain. Barring . last-minute
change Of heart there Is nov an
excellent chance that the painfully
negotiated Saar statute wiz be
overthrow and the whole bitter
issue reopened between France and
Germany
It would not be the first time
that this small 1921 square miles,
but valuable piece of border real
estate has upset the European ape
plecart. FOR the last 1000 years
Frenchmen and Germans have been
crossing swords to settle the Ques-
, .lCn q Mno Mo . conslo ,s sns ,aD-
beneath the saar's dinQy topscil.
Mnst ~ ana ti,na .,,,c. II. A..
World var Frsnce - hes i hssr I'm 4 4. s
For f,fteen vears F.erch -, co,,,,,aTies
exnloited the aasr,s ,rines a -ser
indemnity The T,er,1,ans ho,,nced
back m fa9s when saarIandsrs 1
voted nearly 1901 "a hitch their
wagon Is Hitler,s boominr Third
Reich. At the end Of World War II,
France waived her claim to all other
indemnity 10 get the Saar back.
Since then. while granting the
Saarlanders cautious measure Of
self-goyernment. they have re-
manned in firnl control Of the mines
and steel mills. and most Of the ter-
ritory's banking and insurance COM
800 g WeiL from FRANCES
$3.50. 1917, ~, = = E so0d aeai WINE y
49,, - N..,,.aL Is 1aA 3 : ysaIiy outpus g
.a.l a. ~ ~. solls y cOal ana Mliiiion
so, ..s = ". 49, a.l0uls " neaIly one
ao'1l - y : TAME : tOtai producticn-
FRANCO Ssermon Deal
Final settlement however A.
pended On nepotiations fatwae,,
France and the new 0ernan Fed-
eral Republic. FOR their part. the
Germans have never agreed to
French possession Of the territory
Or permanent French political con-
troll over its million predominantly
German residents.
There was eoot, reasor last t,cto- {
her 70 believe tl,at ~ saarianSer.
would readily accept the agreement
reached between AEpssts. Aaenauer
and Mendes-F France A. . political
group Saar citizens have II the
past showed 3 keen appreciation 81
which side thier bread was but
tered On.
ne go. Ear statute. worked out as
the Western Fs,rn,,.sn gy,,,o,,
seemed c,,t y, ,rrer for ~. &C., .0.r.'
lander. n proviSes arnone ot,,er
tbinrs.
..r...-.....-.....,..,r,,.
,.,,,.s 49, - sli1 , 49,,
,.,s.s,. - ra.,s Z. : * 80 49,
$500, $3.50. 49,, 800
L .e'S''a - = 1aAli1lis.
Freservatlon q the present
economic union with France ifl-
cluolng 2 common currency. AZ the
same TIME. economic tlss with Ger
many would De developed with 9
view 70 the conSinuaily broadening
sphere q french, German ana
european economic co-operati0n
0s AM 4AGW &AIAAA8GAAASAAt WUNAtks
continue until the conclusion at
some dim distant date or 4 Ger
man peace treaty, at which time
the Saarlanders would once more
have the right to express Them
selves at the ballot.
~. $.
10a't'cos N.nonges
The initial optimism. however,
failed to take into account the
political changes that . years work.
can bring about. It also ignored
the explosive potential Of buhhling
German nationalism In the Saar.
once the stopper was removed.
.n 3 -. 49, 49,. sse. -
mont the rrench ban on pro-Ger-
man political parties and news