New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
German Peace Terms-A Colossal
Fraud
1.-THE Baltic Provinces

IL ne BdttlC Provinces
At no time since the World War began
has there been any greater peril to the
future peace of Europe than that which
is inherent in the present peace proposals
of the Germans to the Russians. Under
the cover of Russian formula, purportng
10 give small races the right to choose
their own political allegiance, the Germans
are deliberately undertaking to create a
barrier between the Slavs and the Baltic
Sea and erect a German controlled state
which shall contain all the Russian Baltic
ports from Libau to Reva, including Per-
nau and Riga.
If the present German proposal be ac-
cepted 10000, 900 Russians will be de-
prived of all outlet upon the open waters.
save on the Arctic and Pacific oceans, and
Russia will be made industrially and eco
nomically a mere slave to Germany.
Through her own ports of Danzig and
koenigsberg and through the ports of
Libau and Riga, in the new state she is
seeking to erect, Germany would control
all Russian roads to the sea in the north,
and through her mastery of the Turk at
Constantinople she would dominate the
Russian road to the Mediterranean.
The slightest examination Of the Ger
man proposal reveals it's full purpose. 1t
is proposed to permit the people Of certain
Baltic provinces of Old Russia to decide
their allegiance. The German demand
inces. They are Esthonia, Livland Ui-
vonia in Russian terminologE), Courland
and Lithuania. The first three are easily
recognizable as portions of Russian do
mestic geography, but the fourth does not
exist in present or recent history.
Exactly what the Germans mean by
Lithuania is open to the widest question.
-Four centuries ago the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania, which was later joined to Po-
land, occupied Il territory between the
Bug and the Dniester on the west and the
Dwina and the Dnieper on the east, larger
than modern Germany. We may conclude
that Germany does not mean in her pres
ent proposal to include all this vast terri
tory, only small portion Of which has
been conquered But what does she mean
Probably the two Russian governments of
Wilma and Kovno, and certainly the Polish
province of Suwalki. Some fractions of
other governments may also be claimed
but here is the framework Of the new
state.
Geographically this state would extend
from the Prussian frontier at Mcmel, near
the mouth Of the Niemen, to the boundary
of the Russian government Of Petrograd
a scant fifty miles from the Russian capi-
tai This would give Germany possession
of all Of the Baltic seacoast of Russia
and in addition the south coast Of the Gulf
of Finland, which is the sea gate of Petro.
grad Since Finland. on the north, IS to
he independent also, Russia would thus
be excluded from the Baltic, which would
become German lake. A state of some
six millions Of people, with an area about
equal to that of Rumania before the pres
\ ent war, that is, some $4,000 square miles
would thus be interposed between 150, ,000,.
600 Russians and one Of their two natural
sea gates.
Now as to the population of this pro
posed state: Some three millions would
be Lettish and Lithuanian, that is, Slav;
upward Of a million would be Poles, also
Slavs; perhaps half a million Firms and
the balance Slavs, Jews and Germans
Such a state would have no real ethnic
bond of union, nothing out Of which might
DO developed a nation, even of Balkan pro
portions; for in the Balkans intense sense
Of nationality has subsisted over centuries
Of slavery to foreign rulers.
But the important factor in German cal
ctlations is supplied not by the four or
i've million Slavs of this new state. but
by the few thousand Germans. All this
region was once conquered by tha Teu-