Republican farmer., 1919-10-10
OFFICER TELLS
 OF HOUR PERIL
 INbALTIC CL-ANDS

The following extracts are from letter written by an American Army officer in charge of the children s relief program of the American Re lief Administration for Latvia whose first-hand knowledge of conditions extends throughout the Baltic prov inces.
 After indicating the two perils . which threaten the relief program, the BoIsheviIzs and the Germans he enters with some detail into the description of the sort of Hell the Bolsheviks make out of every place they occupy" and then adds
 ''The Germans promise to save the people. It may surprise you to know that there are estimated to be over one hundred thousand German troops in this general neishborhood. They never have gone away, although ordered to do so many times. It does not lock as though they had the slightest respect for the outcome of the Peace Conference. In fact they have not and laugh at it's as affecting themselves.
 Tt is well known that they are re- ceiving more troops than they send home. Only 25 miles from here they occupy a whole city, Mitau. Two days ago they broke into the Lett Commandatur, despoiled it, took many thousands of rubIes, rounded up and disarmed several hundred Lett soldiers, and took away even their shoes A speech was made by German Major telling the troops that even though their acts were not nent they need not fear any punish ment He went on to attack yer bally the Allies, and especially the British. He stated that the Allies have done nothing for these people and will not do anything. He said that Germany would help them and save them.
 T have seen in one of the Ger man Military official communications reference to the promise of land here to every German soldier who is here All the soldiers expect to be given land and money. A torchHght procession took place Tn Mitau, ana an open affiliation with the Russian troops The few Allied officers are insuIted and ignored. Machine guns are posted everywhere, and the whole city and territory is under the rlili ta1y rule of the Germans The poor Lettish government, only 25 miles away are unable to cope with the situation.
 If the Germans are allowed to re- main and no help given these peoples BoIshevis1n will prevail If Germans act as their saviors they will remain and absolutely administer this coun- try and never leave it again.
 Can anything be done to solve the problem so that neither Germany or the Bolsheviks will prevail? Ger tainly.
 Tt can be done by food, boots, clothing, arms, ammunition, plus moral support
 Cannot we of America help in the way of food and clothing? This of itself would not only be hunanitar- ian, but it would do more to crush Bolshevisrn within and keep it out than any other one thing except arms to fight with.
 There are not many thousand troops to feed, so it would not be much of q job. But it will put a crirnp in that malignant farce which raenaces the world right now. Up here it is either BoIshevism or Ger manisn.
 'T would like MT. Hoover to con sider this subject, and I wish to God that our government would see this terrible situation as every one of the American officers sees it and as every one of the British officers sees it.
 we are not hot heads, and I can ssure you this picture is mild one and does not begin to cover the
 round. All the interference by the eernans with our work, all the steal ng of cattle, food and supplies from this nnar- baa.r-harriAd aoaasatrD, au