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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 population 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.
