Der Fuehrer - Hitler's Rise to Power (1944) - Heiden

696 DER FUEHRERthan a noble attitude; actually France could not expect any advantagefrom a free decision of the Saarlanders, while a passionate plebiscitemeant useless vexations and dangers to her.On January 21, 1933, however, German and foreign fascism moved alittle closer to each other in another quarter. Marshal Pilsudski approvedthe project of a treaty of reconciliation between Germany and Poland,which had been under consideration for months. The treaty did notimply that Germany recognized the Polish-German frontier, but shepromised not to change that frontier by force. The real meaning of theagreement lay in the fact that both parties renounced the help of theLeague in setding their mutual affairs. 'Both governments,' ran thePolish-German declaration published on January 26, 'desire to setde bydirect negotiations all questions of whatever nature which concern them.In the case of disputes which cannot be solved by direct negotiations, asolution shall be sought by other peaceful means, without prejudice toother methods such as are laid down in existing agreements. In no caseshall there be an appeal to force.' The treaty also declared that noproblems shall be discussed 'which, in accordance with internationallaw, should be regarded exclusively as internal affairs of either state' —in these ambiguous terms Germany perhaps renounced the protection ofher minority in Poland; Poland certainly wished to place that interpretationon the phrase. The treaty was to remain in force for ten years,and to be automatically extended unless denounced. That it wasdesigned to end the hostility between the two countries and therebydetach Poland from the French system of alliances, for all practicalpurposes, was confirmed a few days later by a so-called 'propagandaagreement,' in which Germany and Poland pledged themselves 'to cooperateon all questions concerning public opinion in their respectivecountries to the end that mutual understanding may be increasinglyawakened and that a friendly atmosphere may thereby be assured.'On the same day on which Poland made peace with National SocialistGermany, she ceased formally to be a democracy. This was the result ofa parliamentary procedure which was curiously similar to the suicide ofthe Austrian democracy on March 7, 1933. A new constitution whichabrogated equal and universal suffrage