New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-31
By Marie Cecile Chou1el

happy people with the arussssiss
There followed the Bolshsvsss raaas fss
we'll as a trial Of Boishsvfst evssxs.
ment1, and them the Bernenss raid
(Bermondt being the Gernsr 1tnsur
GENT for whom Germany 6.sclxzssads ~.
snonsibilityl. thus adding ssothsr
horror TO country already s4ssrss-
ing under the, prehlern Of restoring the
homes Of thousands upon thsazssas If
its refugee citizens.
.Latvia's future Is heset viii sn.
culties. An agricultural countrv. dc
has no great natural resources ssS as
wealth save in her forests. Owing d
her own great needs she can hardly. fss
years to come. export enough lumAa.
to support herself. Her only add
tional exports are fax and hides.
The economic salvation Of Lasvis g.
Ponds upon her becoming q trade char
mel fer Russia. She has ne ninsrsln
no coal and no oil, and Is not q self
sufficient economic unit. Before tie
war she served chiefly as g Russsas
trade route.
found the railroads trying Go epsr.
ate with one-sixth their normal eqpip-
ment. There wsrs no first class coaches,
and for tho second class travellers
car like our own freight hax cars, u;tf
simple benches fer sests. / made sew
erai journeys in such ears and en- abe
TO testify to The general discomfort q
going about this part of the wcrll
to-day.
Still. in spite of all shsis prfva-
tions, the people are optimistic Char
acteristic Of the whols pcpulses wa
the statement Of high gcvernHant
official WHO told me I'VE are deter
mined to take care Of ourselves from
, row on"
| One of the Hrst acts Of indspsndens
Latvis was Co rescue her land frum ms
Baltic barons and parcel 1t out snoEE
her own people. These fairness ais
making desperate efforts At cultifsticH'
In my Journeys. covering pretty vel
the whole country, / have WITNESSES
the most appalling destitution- s.
the same time the most glorious eeu''
age. Following that old Hinaerenn
line from the Baltic 60 the Black Sea
there was aothing much to sas ~
baTbed wire entangIements and aug
outs. The fightfu desolsticr 81 tass
sea Of barbed wire is beyond vc'Ss
But the people had taken over the NJ
foreground dugouts TO live in. IfsS
had few farm implements. few hezsssg
there WAS scarcity of seed: bat tssF
felt that things were settled and fsss
could return so their fields wash y
danger Of wars interruption, 80 faeas
was cheerful spirit.
The government had pus into prs''
tice an Intelligent program OF car
attractive cid In Sehuilding tbs es
stroyed homes According to the SCI
eminent registration, more thsn W.
hundred thousand buildings were ds's'
aged, either totally or in part.
In the endeavsr 60 rsculti1ass oesl
astated farms the governmsns ~
ported agricultural machinery snF
horses. These were sold to fas'ae''
on frem ten TO fifteen years t'Ds /,
Where farmhouses were destroys
loans were made for rebuilding, ou =
average OF Ave years. tina. withaus =
serest.
Before the war cne-foussh ~ ces,
third Of all Russian trsda s's*s
through Lettish ports. &.
The great paper mills vsse
snpiled Of copper and nsehinsr ~ g.
ing the war. and the buildjsgs 81
astated by the Bolshowsts. g 'ne =,
tries whose total value was siep, usS''T'
only tho walls remain. III