The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-19
RIGA IS A WRECK
Russian City Known Before War as
 Pearl of the Baltic
By Associated Pres.


 Riga, Latvia, November 20.-Rfga. which was known before the war as the Pearl of the Baltic and ranked as Russia's second port, is one of the sad dest monuments to the destruction wrought by six years of ceaseless fighting, p1uch of which took place on the soil of the new republic of Latvia, erected on the ruins of the old Rus sian governments of Livonia and Cour- land.
 Half million persons lived in Riga before the war and over 400 large fac tories kept it busy and prosperous. Now there are only about 200, 900 in- habitants and less than score of fac tcrfes are operating. The empty shells Of various industries stand awaitine the return of machinery which the Russians shipped eastward before tho German advance. Lenine and Trotzky have promised to return all the ma chinery which belonged to Russian suooects. But many of the factories were owned. by foreign capitalists, who consequently cannot hope to recover their plants.
 Great rubber plants, car shops woodworking shops and sawmills stanf Idle, awaiting capital to buy machin- cry. The River Dvina and various lakes and inlets lying about the city are filled with logs But there are no mills to convert them into timber, no ships to carry them into foreign markets. The docks are idle. Few trains operate, and those are fired with wood.
 Of the 1.5ooooo persons in the new republic, nearly all are dependent upon agriculture for living. The crops were failure this year, and conse- quently the outlook is blue for the new government headed by Ulmants. the American-trained Minister -Presl- : dent. But the Let's have learned th , Joy or freedom in their few months of independence. They fought brayely against the bolsheviki and later agains, the Baltic barons, who tried to enslaye them under General Bermondt And tney are courageously building up a national life and a national conscious ness in the face of terrible odds.
 Unlike mos. parts or Russ,a ra+y,. was country where educa ation was general, and only a small proportion or It's population was unable to req ad and write. It had been well in the line or European culture. It's ports of Riea Libau and Windau had always al. tracted many foreign traders. The country had been so attractive to Ger. man business men that German cul N' NAAAi'J CihOtQQtQ Tn the l6a0- Ing cities. Riga is more German than Russian in its appearance. It's broad streets. magnificent. well-kept parks ana dignified public buildings give if the air of German city It's mn merous Lutheran churches are similar 10 those found in any of the Hanseatic ieague cities. It's university is or ganized along German lines. But tho great majority of It's people have no sympathy with Germany's effort tc otintinu' it's influence in Ietvta through the German barons. whose estates have been confiscated.
 The opera in Riga includes all +ho standard German, French and Italian operas in the Lettish language. Its schoois teach Lettish. The state theatre gives plays in Lettish. chiefly translation of the great English Sean. dinavian and German masters. Ono or the new plays ercently produced in. Riga was written by a Lett about tbe lire or Weesters, a Lettfsh knight of the fourteenth century. who attempted 10 resist the German domination o+ Lettiand. It is bitter in it's denuncia- tion or German methods and has been well received by public which seems thoroughly determined to maintain fta lHQtpen0enCe af