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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2017
One of the danger spots in after-war Europe is the “autonomous territory” of Memel. So many questions are constantly being raised about it that a sketch of its background is necessary. A prominent French writer, for instance, stated in 1926 that the population were “au point de vue ethnique, moitie polonais et moitié lithuanien,” when as a matter of fact there are only a very few Poles in the whole area with its population of 140,000 or more.
1 John A. Gade, “The Memel Controversy,” Foreign Affairs, March 15,1924, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 410-420, gives a clear though slightly inaccurate account of the origin and development of the Memel question before 1924.
2 Ernest L&nonon, “Le Slisvig, Dantzig et Memel depute la Guerre,” Revue Politique et Parlementaire, No. 128,1926, pp. 424r438. For the census figures see J. Ganss, Völkischen Verhältnisse des MemeUandes, p. 134. It might be noted that population figures given on p. 117 of Geneva, Vol. VIII, No. 10,1935, are not supported by any available census figures. There is no unanimity of opinion on the matter. Widely varying extremes are given in F. Arvydas, Das Memelland, ist es wirklich deutsches Landf pp. 1-30; W. Staniewicz, Sprawa Klaipede, Ganss, Das Memelland, p. 3; but none of these are as extreme as the figures given in Geneva,.
3 Lothar Weber, Preussen vor BOO Jahren in Culturhistorischer statistischer und militärischer Beziehung nebst Special-Geographie, Danzig, 1878, p. 543 ff; W. St. Vydünas, Sieben Hundert Jahre deutsche-litauische Beziehung, Tilsit, 1932, p. 191 ff.
4 Materialen betreffend die Friedensverhandlungen, Charlottenburg, 1919, pp. 22, 49 ff; H. W. V. Temperley, A History of the Peace Conference of Paris, Vol. 2, “Settlements with Germany,” London, 1920, Oxford University Press, p. 290 ff.
5 Ibid.
6 The Treaties of Peace, 1919-1923, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, New York, 1924, Vol. 1, pp. 27, 28; this Journal, Supp., Vol. 13 (1919), pp. 160-161.
7 Ibid.
8 Treaties of Peace, ibid., p. 74, Supplement to this Journal, ibid., p. 205. See also Chap. Ill of the Treaty, clauses relating to the Elbe, the Oder, the Niemen (Russtrom-Memel-Niemen) and the Danube, these being articles of guarantee and reparations applicable to the Memel territory. Treaties of Peace, ibid., pp. 216-223; Supplement to this Journal, ibid., pp. 341-348.
9 The Memel Problem, Lithuanian Information Bureau, pp. 3, 4.
10 See the Report to the Conference of Ambassadors by the Extraordinary Commission at Memel, March 6,1923, par. 2. This report, commonly called the Aloisi Report, is contained in The Question of Memel, p. 69.
11 The drafts and communications are given in League of Nations Publications C.664.M. 295, The Question of Memel and La Question de Memel.
12 Monthly Summary of the League of Nations, 1924, Vol. IV, No. 2, pp. 42-43.
13 League of Nations Documents C.159.M.39.1924.VII.
14 The two outstanding works are Albrecht Rogge, Die Verfassung des Memelgebiets, ein Kommentar zur Memelkonvention, Berlin, 1928; and Jacob Robinson, Kommentar der Konvention über das Memelgebiet, Kovno, 1934. For the most part Robinson is only a variation of the earlier work of Rogge.
15 L. N. Doc. C.159.M.39.1924.VII. Art. 2 of the convention, ibid., p. 98.
16 Art. 38 provides that the amendment of the Statute shall be by a bill passed by the Chamber of Representatives of Memel by three-fifths vote. It is submissible on demand to a popular referendum, after which it must be approved by the legislative assembly of Lithuania.
17 The first drafts of Art. 38 describe it as such. For example, Art. 47 of the Lithuanian draft of March 11, 1923, reads in part as follows:
“The Constitution of the Memel Territory as it results from the foregoing Articles 2 to 27 . . . etc.”
18 Art. 1.
19 Art. 2.
20 Art. 16.
21 Art. 4.
22 Art. 7.
23 Art. 5.
24 Art. 10.
25 Art. 11.
26 Arts. 12 and 13.
27 Art. 14.
28 Art. 17.
29 Art. 18.
30 Arts. 21-23, inc.
31 Art. 20.
32 Arts. 8,9,28-30.
33 Art. 26.
34 Arts. 5,25,31.
35 Art. 27.
36 Art. 32.
37 Art. 33.
“Arts. 5,25,31. “Art. 27. “Art. 32. “Art. 33.
38 The confidence of better times to come in Memel (Geneva, Vol. VIII, No. 10, p. 118, col. II) is not supported by past events in Memel.
39 See, for example: Rogge; Anton Hesse, “Gerichtsverfassung und Rechtsgang im Memelgebiet,” Ostrecht, 3te Jhg., Jan. to Mar. 1927, pp. 269-277, 310-312; Rudolf Schneidereit, “Der Bruch der Verfassung des Memelgebiets durch Litauen.” Zeitschrift für Politik, 22d Vol. 1933, pp. 1-12, and especially Elizabeth Brönner-Höffner, Die Leiden des Memelgebietes.
40 Rudolf Craemer, “Juristische Vorwände und politische Hintergründe der litauischen Gewaltherrschaft,” Deutsche Jurislen-Zeitung, No. 8, Jhg. 40, Berlin, April 15, 1935, pp. 449-460; Reinhold Pregel, Das Schicksal des Memelgebietes.
41 For example, Hitler’s speech before the Reichstag, Sept. 15,1935, Völkerbund, No. 141, Sept. 27, 1935, p. 2.
42 The declaration was made on Dec. 17,1926, at 3 p.m., and officers were announced for Memel. Amtsblatt des Memelgebietes, 1926, p. 754 ff.
43 League of Nations Official Journal, 1926, p. 1271 ff.
44 Ibid., p. 1273 ff.
45 League of Nations Official Journal, 1926, p. 1271.
46 Ibid., pp. 1229, 1407-1409, 1424.
47 Ibid., p. 1425.
48 Ibid., p. 1407.
49 Ibid., pp. 1409, 1428-1439.
50 Ibid., 1930, pp. 1516-1517.
51 Ibid., p. 1522.
52 Ibid, p. 1524.
53 Ibid., p. 1618.
54 Ibid., 1931, p. 232.
55 Ibid., p. 1131.
56 Ibid., p. 1473.
57 Publications of the Permanent Court of International Justice, Series A/B, No. 49.
58 Memeler Dampfboot, No. 22, Jan. 27,1932, gives the details.
59 66th Sess. D. VII (1). The whole series of negotiations and discussions can be found in Dokumente.
60 League of Nations Official Journal, 1932, p. 540.
61 Pub. Perm. Ct. International Justice, Series A/B, No. 49. For an excellent summary, see Manley O. Hudson, “The Eleventh Year of the Permanent Court,” this Journal, Vol. 27 (1933), pp. 22-27.
62 Reinhold Pregel, Blut Vrteil, Berlin, 1935, and Das Schicksal des Memelgebietes by the same author.
63 Richard Meyer, Complaint or Case presented without title to the Powers at Geneva, Sept. 14, 1934, and supplements, p. 118 fif, and enclosure 4; also Memeler Dampfboot, June 18, 1933.
64 Richard Meyer, Complaint or Case presented without title to the Powers at Geneva, Sept. 14, 1934, and supplements, p. 118 ff, and enclosure 4; also Memeler Dampfboot, June 18, 1933.
65 T. V. Kalijarvi, “Betrachtungen eines Aussenstehenden zum Memel-Prozess von Kowno,’’ Europäische Revue, April, 1935, No. 4, Jhg. 11, pp. 229-233.
66 News in Brief, publication of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, E.V., No. 18/19, Vol. 3, September, 1935, p. 1.
67 Dr. Frhr. v. Freytagh-Loringhoven, “Memel,” Deutsche Juristen-Zeitung, 40 Jahrgang, Heft 4, Berlin, Feb. 15, 1935, p. 194.
68 The Question of Memel, p. 63.
69 Ibid., p. 78 ff.
70 The Question of Memel, p. 84.
71 Ibid., p. 94.
72 Ibid.
73 Ibid., p. 104.
74 Ibid.
75 The Question of Memel, p. 122.
76 Ibid., p. 126.
77 Ibid., p. 139.
78 Ibid., p. 154.
79 Ibid., p. 166.
80 League of Nations Document C.159.M.39.1924. VII, p. 97 ff.
81 Art. I of the Convention. Ibid.
