The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-30

"we Let's have but little doubt as to the sound foundation of our ! republic Wo are a homogeneous people. full of patriotism and natur- ally strong. We are always ready l to fight for our rights and during the years following the first Rus | sian revolution we battled again and again for our Independence. We or 1 ganized government at the earliest possible moment, and l may say that we are now on our feet. We have | had no help outside the United States, and notwithstanding that our cur rency is stable and our credit grows | better every week. Everyone is at work. We have in the neighborhood of 9 quarter of million here in Riga, and the unemployment does not | number more than three hundred. We are rapidly advancing politically. and our relations with out neighbors are good"
 About Land Reform.
 How do you reconcile the justice 1 of your confiscation of the estates to the peasants?" I asked.
 That is easy" replied the premier. ''It was a political and economic necessity. On one side were the Rus sian bolsheviks proposing common division of property. and on the other a land-hungry people which had | been kept out of its rights for seven centuries. We had to divide the lands to withstand bolshevism, and at the same time the economic req sons were many"
 How about the BaltsT" inquired | Can you satisfy them and make them good Latvian citizens7" T think 80, although 1t may not be for some time to come. We have not fixed as yet what is to be done in the way of settlement. We have left each of tho estate owners from l GO to loo hectares (150 to $50 acres), which is large farm here in Europe. We have also allowed him to keep, as far as possible, his houses, stock, and 1 farm implements. At this time only about 15 of the families have moved away. The remainder are taking part i in politics and we have quite per- centage of them in the constituent assembly,"
 Russia and Latvia.
 Suppose Russia should establish a republic. Would Latvia join 1t as one of the states?"
 q doubt whether there will ever be Russian republic" replied the pre- mier Russia has so many different races and peoples and localities, each with It's own political interests, that 1t Is difficult to see how they can combine into one autonomous demo- cratic whole. We Latvians do not be- long to the same race as the Rus sians. They arc Slavs. We are Indo- Europeans. We think differently and have different ambitions. I can see no reastn why Russia should insist upo. the possession of Latvia. We zIk AoN N tween Europe and Russia, so con- stituted geographically that we form tho natural entrance to that great empire of the east. We have five rail- way lines running out from our ex- cellent harbors and the entry of goods will be as free as though the harbors belonged to Russia itself. We shall have free ports and there will be no duty on goods sent across the country. This was the place we held under the old regime. Siberian game butter, grain and other products came across here to the Baltic and were shipped out from our ports Raw materials were brought in here and manufactured into products for Russia and Siberia. These relations will be renewed when industrial Russia Is again on It's feet"
 The Latvians Like Us.
 "what can we do for LatviAri0 I asked.
 You have already done a great deal" replied the premier. "The Limited States cs-me to us in our great need and fed the hungry. It kept us alive when on the edge of star vation, and 1t has shown itself tC be our great and good friend. We expect this relation to continue and that hope is founded upon the uni- versal gratitude which prevails here for America"
 Every man, woman and child among us knows of your country It is synonymous with charity and brotherly love. We hope that our national relations will grow closer and closer, and we should like to see tho United States reap the bene- fit of this feeling. There Is bound to be a great Russian market and all other nations are preparing to enter 1t. We shall be glad to well me you, and hope that your ex- porting and manufacturing interests will establish branches and agencies here, ready to take advantage of the opening of the Russian market as soon as 1t comes. As to our own needs. they will be small. for we are pOOEJ put Wo budAA uy what we can and trade with you to the extent of cur power. Like all the rest of Europe we want loans, but only loans based upon credit; our in- terest will be paid promptly and the principal as soon as we can"
 What is your economic condition today?'
 Tt Is far better than that of most of the nations of Europe Our budget Is balanced and our wealth is begin ming to grow. We have good busi- ness people. They do not expect to get something for nothing, and are enthusiastically al work In the build- Ing up of the country"
 It was at his home in Riga that ] talked with Karlis Ulmanis. He speaks English fluently, has visited , the world, all the natural resources of the world. animal, vegetable or mineral, belong to all the people of the world. and that any assignation reservation, mandate or monopoliza- ton of this or that region is en- tirely a temporary arrangement for the universal good. The British Empire" in respect to this class of possession is therefore in the posi- ton of trustee for an unborn btu, inevitable heir. Any federation of peoples or League of Nations CT what-noe that really undertakes the | organization of a world peace must as necessary function, inherit all the overseas and alien possessions that are not yet capable of an in- telligent participation in world gov