Memel

MEMEL, a town of Lithuania, 91 m. by rail N.N.E. of Konigsberg on the bank of the sound through which the Kurische Haff and the river Nemunas or Niemen (called Memel in its lower course) connect with the Baltic. Pop. mainly German. The entrance to the harbour is protected by a light house ; the depth on the bar is about 20 ft., and icebreakers are needed to keep the port open between December and March. The town possesses iron foundries, shipbuilding yards, breweries, distilleries and manufactories of chemicals, soap and amber wares. The chief interest of the town, however, is its transit trade in timber, grain, other agricultural produce and fish. Its economic hinterland extends across Lithuania into Poland and Russia and much of the goods is brought down by the river.

History.

Memel was founded in 1252 by Poppo von Osterna, grand master of the Teutonic order, and was at first called New Dortmund and afterwards Memelburg. It soon acquired a con siderable trade, and joined the Hanseatic League. During the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries it was repeatedly burned by its hostile neighbours, the Lithuanians and Poles. In the 17th century it remained for some time in the possession of Sweden. In 1757, and again in 1813, it was occupied by Russian troops. After the battle of Jena, King Frederick William III. retired to Memel; and here, in 1807, a treaty was concluded between England and Prussia. The poet Simon Dach was a native of Memel.

Before the World War the town of Memel, with a strip of ter ritory east of the river, belonged to Germany, while the hinter land belonged to the Russian empire. Under the Versailles treaty (Article 99), Germany ceded all her territory east of the river to the Allied and Associated Powers and undertook to accept what ever disposal they made of it. Upon the ratification of the treaty

the Allies occupied and administered the territory for three years. The conference of ambassadors did not take up the question of Memel till the autumn of 1922, and meanwhile it had been sug gested that Memel might be given a status in regard to Lithuania like that which had been given to Danzig in regard to Poland. This was unacceptable to the Lithuanians, since the population of the country districts of Memel territory was Lithuanian in nation ality, while the port was almost the only possible maritime outlet and inlet for Lithuania herself. Accordingly the Lithuanians seized Memel by a surprise attack on Jan. 15, 1923, and forced the French garrison to surrender and evacuate.

On Feb. 16 the conference of ambassadors proposed that Memel should be handed over to Lithuania, subject to local autonomy and to freedom of transit for Poland. Later, in Sept. 1923, the case was referred to the League of Nations. A commission of enquiry was appointed and in March 1924 presented a draft convention to the Council. This convention constituted the Memel territory as a unit within the sovereignty of Lithuania with a clearly defined measure of administrative and financial autonomy and with a governor to be appointed by the president of the Lithuanian repub lic. The port was defined as a port of international concern to which the provisions of the League's Barcelona transit conference apply, and was placed under a harbour board including a technical expert of neutral nationality appointed by the League. The con vention was accepted and signed by all parties in May