Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-26
RIGA ONCE FREED
Of PRUSS|AN HAND
Present Center of German Of
fensive in Jeopardy in
b Twelfth Century.

HE who thinks that vast monopo-
lies are modern enterprises. or that
chambers of commerce are latter-day
civic institutions. or that Prussians
first strove to implant kultur with
a sword in 1914. will be disillusioned
II he reads the history of Riga"
This statement is made in a bulle-
tin from the Washington headquar-
ters of the National Geographic So
ciety relating to the Baltic port
where Germans now are reported TO
be attacking the Lettish occupants.
Riga had to wrest itself free from
Prussian control once before, and
thereby hangs the story of an early
exploit like the attempted subjuga-
tion of Belgium and the deportation
of it's workers." the bulletin says.
About the middle of the twelfth
century few German merchants es-
tablished settlements about the mouth
of the Dvina. which empties into the
Gulf of Riga nine miles below the
present city of Riga Whereupon
Bishop Albert. in the role OF mis-
sionary. sought to COLOMBO the terri
tory in 1901 by building town where
Riga now stands and the following
year he founded the Brethren OF the
Sword.
Slaughter Not Main Object.
1.-THE new order was we'll named. 1t
killed where it could not convert. though
slaughter was not the main object after
a foothold on the promising Baltic port
was obtained. The missionaries were
satisfied to reduce the native popula-
ton to serfdom, appropriate the land.
and build fortified towns and castles to
uphold this miniature feudal system in
a land they aimed to exploit
But the Livonians are liberty-lov
irg people. They resisted despotism
then. and many times later. just as they
rebel against boishevism today. When
their early oppressors became too Sc
we're they arose. drove out the mission
aries and went in great numbers to the
IVina. There they immersed themselves
again and sent the waters back to
the baptism imposed by the invaders.
Later Livonia, and Riga, which became
it's capital. espoused the Christian re-
ligicl. and the Order of the Sword
continued it's operations in other quar-
tiers.
Though Prussia's political hold was
shaken off Riga, it maintained its
economic ties there. and individual
Germans usually have been important
factors in its commerce. This phase
of German influence was contaminated
when Riga, in the thirteenth century,
became member of the Hanseatic
League. the first great trust which for
the trade channels Of continental Eu-
rope north of the Alps.
Attained Commercial Poise.
riga was conspicuous among the
eighty-five cities belonging to this
giant combine at the height of it's
power in the latter fourteenth CEN
fury Thus Riga attained commercial
importance, which 1t never relin-
guished, and even in 1914 1t was ac-
counted second only to St Petersburg
(now Petrograd) among the Baltic
cities in the volume of its trade.
ut Is hard to realize what tremen-
league Of cities attained in the mid.
die ages. 1t had been formed for the
sole purpose of resisting piracy. and
1t left In its wake such mernsntoes OF
and Lubbock. which retained their
rights as free cities within the Ger
man empire until it's downfall.
The third modern aspect of ms-
dieval Riga IL to be found in the Ia
NOUS .Blackheads.' 1t was this body
which soon came to have the civic
importance, and apparently many OF
the functions. Of a chamber of COM
merce or board of trade today.
'Originally 1t was organized oy
the young traders who came to Riga
as a social club. to afford Fellowship
in addition to the needful board ana
lodgings during their so5ourn. Since
the members were mostly young men.
progressive and somewhat assertive.
they took their name to distinguish
themselves from their elders. or gray
boards Naturally, their table talk
turned to ways Of promoting business
and soon the club became, in effect.
an organization for a bigger. better
and buster Riga as the modern trade
body would phrase 1t. The Hall OF
the Blackheads, built in 1880, Is one
Of the Oldest landmarks of the city.
Rebuilt More Recently.
"a survival of the thirteenth CEN
fury is the Cathedral of the Virgin.
rebuilt most recently in 1883, when
there was installed one of the largest
pipe organs in the world-almost as
large as the mammoth Instruments at
Asbury Park, n. j.. and in the town
hall of Sydney. Australia
From the beginning of the world
war Riga was an objective of the CEN
trail powers, because of its Importance
as a focal point for the lumber from
white Russia and Vollhynia, the fax
from northwestern Russia and other
products from a wide area with
which 1t has rail and water COM
munication. Its recent prosperity 10
indicated by the growth of its popu-
lation, from 100, 900 In 1857 to more
than 100000 before the war"
vienna GAYETY GROWS