SILESIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1919, Page 6

SILESIA.

THE ARMED REVOLT. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Aug. 28. The Australian Press Association learns that there is little improvement in Silesia, where an armed revolt is in progress in' the south-eastern corner. Bitter feeling is growing among the Poles over the delay by the Entente in sending help. The situation is causing anxiety. Plris, Aug. 28. According to the Paris edition of the Chicago Tribune, an American brigade will probably be used for policing Upper Silesia in order to prevent clashes between the Poles and Germans. It is announced that the Allies will control Upper Silesia during the taking of the plebiscite.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

Otto Horsing, formerly a blacksmith, has made himself virtual dictator of Upper Silesia. The leader in the field is General Hofer, of the Cambrai front, but he is completely under the domination of Horsing, whose influence, not only in Upper Silesia, where he is regarded as Czar, but also through the northern provinces of Posen and East Prussia, transcends that, of the constituted authority. The Germans worship him, and regard him as a deliverer, and his crusade against going over to Poland—whether after a plebiscite or not—has aroused intense feeling with the crowd. ■ During the early stages of his campaign he asserted that Silesia would not take the first action, but declared that if Polish forces attempted to cross the frontier none would get back alive. He enlisted large numbers of German patriots, which he stationed on the frontier line, all veteran soldiers, well equipped and supplied. He obtained the underground support of Hindenburg, and was tjjen enabled to rapidly increase his available forces, in readiness to fall upon the Poles at any moment. It is now suggested that he is attempting to deliberately provoke the Poles to revolt in order to vitiate the plebiscite which, according' to the revised terms of the Peace Treaty,, must be taken to determine the future nationality—Polish or German—of this rich, coal-bearing and manufacturing area.