Evening star., 1935-09-16
.L|THUAN|A READY
TODEFEND MEMEL
President States Country's
Position in Dispute With
Germany.

Gy L0C hbSOCldtCN EleSos
PALANGA, Lithuania, September
i6.-President Antanas Smetona. in
the first interview he has granted in
six years, declared to the Associated
Press that Lithuania, relying to the
utmost on the legality and justice of
her stand and action in Memel affairs,
is ready at any time to defend her
position before the Permanent Court
Of International Justice.
But, should an effort be made to
disregard legality and justice in favor
OF force, Lthuania is prepared, stated
President Smetona, to defend Memel
with all the means at her command" p"
The determination back. of this
statement Is apparent in word and
gesture in conversation with Lithu-
alas leader, who has in Memel and
wilma two international problems out
OF all seeming proportion to the size
and strength of Lithuania.
Blockade Is Painful.
He regards as Lithuania'S chief
problem in Memel today the action
Of Germany in practically stopping all
imports from Lithuania, with result
ant economic pressure" and what he
terms the relentless influence of for
eign propaganda" He blamed such
propaganda for much of the ap-
parent confusion.
THE Memel citizen, confronted by
the propaganda forces of large and
powerful nation, cannot help but be
beWildered.
The Memel general elections will
take place on September 29 and the
government of the republic guarantees
that they will take place in full liberty
as they have in the past. Unfortu-
nately, factors which do not depend
on the will of the government have
been long since leading towards illegal
action with the purpose Of influencing
the will of the Memel population
There is every reason to expect that
these factors will increase their activ-
ity as the Date of the elections approch
ANY changes which the government
might eventually consider necessary
in the present election procedure
would, without any doubt, be made ir
full conformity with the Meme
statute"
Area Vital to Country.
To President Smetona the policy oi
his country as regards Memel is. he
indicated, simple. direct one: Thai
Of reliance, as far as possible. on in
ternational justice and the interna.
tional rules by which we are bound
"Memel territory is not large" state.
the soft-spoken, bearded. scholarly
appearing man, first President OF
Githuania and President again since
1926. "Memel is to us an economic
necessity, not a political issue. We
are too small nation to engage in
political bargaining as we are too
small country to engage in counter
Propaganda. Our only point is that
Memel, containing Lithuanias only
Lithuania. And the freedom and
preservation of Lithuania is to her
people precious thing"
II, under the circumstances, Memel
has been given the title of danger
spot" in European affairs, President
Smetona can only, he declares, plead
Lithuania's fervent desire for peace.
In two-hour discussion Of Lithuania S
viewpoints, in his Summer villa here,
he asserted repeatedly the desire of
his country for friendly relations with
both Germany and Poland, as with all
other neighboring nations.
He made it plain that he does not
consider the door closed to a rap
prochement with Germany, but
Lithuania will never agree, he de-
clared, to obtain this rapprochement
at the price Of taint to its sover-
eighty"