Oldal 1 [1]
2 for
Whenever today the question of the European integra= _
tion is discussed, and especially its Franco-German angle aired,
the name of the Saar crops up. “his small territory of 1924
square Kilometers is indeed one of the outstanding curiosities
of the present times. Economically united with France, clearly
of German caracter, a fiction of an independent state by the will
of France, this country is contended for with bittermess between
both powerse Because this tiny area is extremely wealthy. On its
few square Kilometers live 880,031 people, a density of popula¬
tion of 457 per square Kilometer. Its great wealth is coal, close
to the Lorraine oree During the nights the Saar sky glows red
with the reflection of the furnaces. In May of this year alone it
produced 241,000 tons of steel, The caracter of the country is
varied : industrial towns like Saarbrticken and Völklingen are
surrounded by hilly, wooded country, in which great castles speak
of past glories.
The capital city af the tiny country, Saarbriicken, gives
indeed a curious impression, The city was destroyed during the
war. Reconstruction has been slow by German stendards, but the
things reconstructed have almost American standards of lumry
and efficiency. Zhe most modern buildings stand besides heaps of
rubble, which no one seems to care to touche The leading Hotel
in town, the Hotel Messmer, has American standards of comfort,
but is in dismal surroundings due to the distructions. Along the
river one of the best garden installations has been built with
beautiful flowers : but the view of the River is one of conti=
nuedlines of barges, and the smoke and flames of near-by foun=
dries reflects itself in the dirty waters. The buildings of the
new Saar regime are likely to be the most modern buildings of any
governement in Europe today.
These interesting contradictions continue the more the
observer carries on his work. It is indeed a puzzling dilemma,
The population is German. Typically so. The Police on the roads
can not be distinguished from those across the German lines On
the other hand it would be erroneous to call the Saar fully Ger=
man, The French influence is great indeed, Many of the older
buildings are clearly inspired by France? The castles would fit
more into a French countryside than in a Geman, Something in
the way of life of the Saarlanders also is un-german. There is
em undeniable inter-penetration betwwen France and the Saar.
1S.