New-York tribune., 1922-07-12
i. S. Urged to
Recognize 3
Baltic States
Petition, Signed by 90 Lead
ing Educators, Sent to Sec
retary Hughes With Let
ter of American Society
Other Nations Have Acted
Right of Three Republics to
independence Held To
Be as Strong as Poland's

Urging recognition OF the Baltic re-
,rtlies, Iithuania, Latvia and Esthoaia
by the United States, the recently or
rsaised Baltic-American Society has
sent letter and petition, signed bv
twenty-nine American educators. To
Secretary of State Huges. The letter,
signcd by Harold II. Bender, said in
part:
aMy dear Mr.. Hughes: l beg to sub
mi. to you the inclosed petition, signed
by .wenty-nine prominent American
sdseasors, requesting the recognition
bs eur government Of the new Baltic
vpablics, Lithuania, Latvia and Es-
.hsnis.
1T is my sincere belief that it is
eur immediate duty TO recognize these
republics. The main reasons for this
conclusion are mentioned in the let
ter which l sent to the petitioners. a
copy Of which is incIosed, The state
nent there es to recognition by other
countries was modified yesterday, as
you know, by the announcement in
Paris that Lithuania has been recog-
nixsd de jure by England, France, Italy
aud Japan. This means that practical
ly al! the worlds powers have recog-
nired. de jure, all three Baltic repub-
lcs--except the United States.
II realize that conditions in Russia
ctmplicate in some degree what is on
the face OF it simple matter. But the
right OF the Baltic States to independ-
ence is equally as strong as that of
Poland. and Lithuania's. at least, is
Identical with it. And it is inconceiv-
able that these states, with their vigor-
our national consciousness, rapidly
improving economic situation, and the
recognition OF Russia. Poland, and the
rest Of the world, should ever beforced
to return to the bondage of Russia.
whatever Russia's government, or its
wishes may in the future be-"
Very sincerely yours.
"(Signedl HAROLD II. BENDER"
Those who signed the petition are
Charles ". Eliot, president emeritus of
Harvard University; John Grier Hib-
ben, president of Princetoe University:
w. Carey Thomas, president of Bryn
Mawr College; Ellen s. Pendleton,
president of Wellesley College; John H.
MeCracken, president of Lafayette Col
Iege; May E. Wooley, president of
Mount Holyoke College; Henry Van
Dyke, of Princeton University and eX-
Ambassador to the Nethe rlands; Basil
l. Gildersleeve, Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity; Henry Fairfield Osborn, Columbia
University; Cornelius Cole, of Wesley.
an aud ex-United States Senator: Fred
erick S. Jones, dean of Yale University;
william B. Scott, Princeton University;
Twin F. Seligman, Columbia Univer-
dty; Edward Capps. Princeton. Univer-
a.y and former Minister to Greece;
Y, 7. Councilman, Harvard University;
Lane Cooper, Cornell University; Ed
win Grant Conkling, Princeton Uni.
yersity; G.. L. Kittredge, Harvard Uni
yersity; Carl D. Buck. University of
Chicago; Dana Carlton Munro, Prince
Ios University; Franklin Edgerton,
of Pennsylvania; c. H.
;randgent, Harvard University; Chris
ian Gauss, Princeton University; Ro-
and G. Kent, University of Pennsyl-
'ania; Ernest H. wilkins, University
# Chicago; John A. Ryan, Catholic
Charles R. Landman, Har-
sard University; Washburn Hopkins,
Yale University, and Harold II. Bender,
Princeton University.
Among the directors of the Baltic
American Society are George Gordon
Battle, Stephen P. Duggan, John H.
Finley, Hamilton Holt, Senator William
H. King, George Foster Peabody and
William J. Schieffelin.