Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-23
FOOD PROBLEM
BIG WORRY OF
BALTIC STATES
Esthouia, Lithuania and Lat
via Concerned About Sup
plies to Last Winter.
FINLAND HAS ENOUGH

LONDON, Jan. 23.-Just now the Bal
tic states-particularly Esthonia, Ltthu-
ania and Latvta-w1ll manage to get
through the coming winter is a problem
which is interesting many persons Of
Aigh official position in those countries.
Finland Is not worrying very much, for
she is to a great extent self-supporttng
ard has sufficient home products to take
care Of her people.
The other states, however, are in q
different position. They have learned
to rely for centuries on the rest Of
Russia to help them by importations
nnd also by taking their manufactured
products. This is the one great reason
for the three states mentioned being so
willing to make peace with the soviet
covernment-even to the extent of de-
claring they would at least arrange for
. an armistice should the allies refuse to
agree on peace terms.
FINLAND is
SELF SUPPORTING.
Finland is in the happy position Of
being absolutely self-supporting If cut
off from the rest of the world tomorrow
Finland could still manage to exist.
This. however, does not apply to the
other Baltic states. Esthonia has but
q small agricultural population, too
small TO furnish the cities with theic
needed supplies Lithuania and Latvia
are in a similar case.
The main dependency of the three
countries has been on their ports, Ii
bau, Riga and Reva1. From Libau alone
exports to the value of S12,500000 pei
annum were dispatched and from Riga
the same kinds Of goods were dispatched
to the value of more than twice as much.
They have drawn much of their needeG
supplies from the interior, giving in eX-
change access to the oceans Of the world
for exports. (These figures are, Of course,
based on pre-war estimates)
The three states mentioned are well
situated in order to get the best of terms
from the bolsheyiki. They control prac-
tically all the outlets in the Baltic sea
for Russia and no matter what success
the bolsheviki had they could not do
much trading with the rest of Europe
unless they conquered and occupied the
ports of Esthonia, LtthUania and LatYia.
DON'T WANT
q. S. OF RUSSIA.
The suggestion Of United States of
Russia" based on the plan of the United
States Of America, does not appeal to
the Baltic states. The fact is that the
average resident of those states dses not
understand the plan on which the var1-
Gus units Of the American states are gov
erneda Any resident of the Baltic states
when asked why he objects to United
States Of Russia will say:
But my country is too small in pop
ulation to attempt to object to any act
Of government proposed by the rest Of
Russia We would be swamped and out
voted. Consequently, we would have to
stand most of the taxation and would
have no representation. No! We are
better off, as a separate country, and that
is all we viii ever consent to-"
The main trouble seems to be that all
the Baltic states are jealous Of each other.
They have a new toy-self- government
and they look with prejudiced eye on
any person or group of persons who has
a plan whereby they viii have to sur
render any portion of their new indie
rendence Until they learn that 'in
union is strength" they win be in the
same unhappy and unsettled condition
az today.