386 THE BRITISH APPROACH TO POLITICS

Treaties may be brought to the notice of the League Council by
any Member of the Council, or by petitions from the minorities.
The Secretary-General has to satisfy himself that they are
temperately, worded, and are not attempts at propaganda for the
re-drawing of frontiers. That is to say, the minority has its rights,
but must co-operate with the State of which it forms a part.
The President of the Council appoints a Committee of Council
Members to report on each petition. If the State concerned
agrees, the record of the Committee's work will be published;
refusal of assent to publication would be almost a confession of
bad faith. Publicity and the desire to stand well with the Great
Powers were thus forces influencing the lesser countries to
respect Minority Treaties.

3. Administration of. Territory, (i) The Saar. This district,
with an overwhelmingly German population, was economically
linked With Alsace and Lorraine which had justifiably been
returned to France. It was therefore ruled, until January 1935,
by a Governing Commission, subject to the League Council;
then, in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles, a plebiscite
was held. A Plebiscite Commission was appointed by the Council
and furnished with staff and troops drawn from several nations
other than France and Germany. Amid the intense excitement
of the campaign, the Commission preserved order and the vote
was taken. More than 90 per cent, of the people voted for re-union
with Germany, and this decision was carried into effect.

(ii) Danzig. This port lies between East Prussia and the
"Polish corridor'* which separates that province from the rest
of Germany. The majority of its people are German, but there is
a Polish minority and the right to use the port was vital to Polish
trade. Danzig was therefore created a Free City with a democratic
Constitution under the protection of the League Council, which
appointed a High Commissioner. Several disputes arose between
Poland and the Free City, and the Poles put much effort into
developing the rival port of Gdynia in their own territory.
Growing tr^de, however, provided work for both ports, and