Stranica 3 [3]
OCR
- page three smuggling has so.much become a nomak feature of economic lifes that the merchants, while selling goods to a foreignerimmediately and without being asked explain to him, how best to smuggle the goods to Germany, These smuggling activities increase very much the prosperity of the area ; many merchents told this observer that it was this feature, the existing border with Gerhany, which was the main reason of their prosperity. ; Another general feature of the situation is the overwhelming influence of the Church, The people, workers, farmers and merchants, wre in their overwhelming majority firm believers, Churches are full, The faithful make a fine impression, And the position of the Catholic Clergy is very important indecd?, The priests have an outstanding position in the life of the Saar, would be able to swing the people one way or another, At present nevertheless the Cjurch seems to be politically neutral. While | the strongly German Bishop Bomewasser of Trier was still alive, the Church was a great force for Germany and against the present situation. Since his death, his retiring and pious successor has no longer taken political interests, and hence the “aar Clergy has become politically inactive, except for a few whő do in politics for reasons of their om, It is on this background that the present situation in the Saar is developing. Since 1948 the French, under the pressing leadership of High Commissioner now Ambassador Grandval have worked consistently for the establishient of an independent Saar regimee They thus have recognized a Saar governement, admitted a Saar constitution, established economic unity = despite the fact that in international agreements they are pledged not to create any fait accompli. So far nevertheless they have gone from fait accompli to fait accomplie But now they are coming tc the most critical phase of their operations, This autumn the Saar will vote, and the German action is strong ? Will the French=sponsored regime survive, This is the great question, : This independent Saar regime is the personal work of one . first classman : Grandval, Grandval was born Hirsch, a Jew, whose ‘ancestors lived in Alsace, and left for France in 1870, refusing to become Germans, The Hirsch family was in financial bussiness. During the war young Hirsch was very active in the Résistance, and truly fought in the Maquis - one of the few who can really prove ite At the liberation he entered the Amy, fought till the end of the war, and then was appointed as Governor on the Saar. It is there that he decided to make it his life's work to give _ the Saar to Frances In 1946 he suddenly converted to Catholicism, out of genuine convictions He is today an outstanding Catholic, attends mass daily, has every evening long prayers, and even has built a Church contiguots to the High Commissioners Castles 13.
