IV

THE TREATY

79

and damage of war in the coalfields of her northernProvinces. In para. 2 of Annex V. to the SeparationChapter, ££ Germany undertakes to deliver to France

of the Nord and Pas de Calais, destroyed as aresult of the war, and the production of the minesof the same area during the year in question: suchdelivery not to exceed 20,000,000 tons in any oneyear of the first five years, and 8,000,000 tons inany one year of the succeeding five years."

This is a reasonable provision if it stood by itself,

of Upper Silesia transferred to Poland in accordance with the present Treaty.Such products shall be free from all export duties or other charges or re-strictions on exportation. Poland agrees to take such steps as may benecessary to secure that any such products shall be available for sale topurchasers in Germany on terms as favourable as are applicable to likeproducts sold under similar conditions to purchasers in Poland or in any othercountry." This does not apparently amount to a right of pre-emption, andit is not easy to estimate its effective practical consequences. It is evident,however, that in so far as the mines are maintained at their former efficiency,and in so far as Germany is in a position to purchase substantially herformer supplies from that source, the loss is limited to the effect on herbalance of trade, and is without the more serious repercussions on her eco-nomic life which are contemplated in the text. Here is an opportunity for theAllies to render more tolerable the actual operation of the settlement. TheGermans, it should be added, have pointed out that the same economic argu-ment which adds the Saar fields to France, allots Upper Silesia to Germany. For whereas the Silesian mines are essential to the economic life of Germany, Poland does not need them. Of Poland' s pre-war annual demand of 10,500,000tons, 6,800,000 tons were supplied by the indisputably Polish districts adjacentto Upper Silesia, 1,500,000 tons from Upper Silesia (out of a total UpperSilesian output of 43,500,000 tons), and the balance from what is nowCzecho-Slovakia. Even without any supply from Upper Silesia and Czecho-slovakia, Poland could probably meet her requirements by the fullerexploitation of her own coalfields which are not yet scientifically developed,or from the deposits of AVestern Galicia which are now to be annexed to her.