Evening star., 1938-06-05
Baltic Joins With Democracy
To Check Sweep Of Fascism
Estonia Latvia and Lithuania Are Watched as a
Symbol of Triumph of Peoples Rule
After Dictator Reaimes.

| cal parties Five months later-in August,
lS35-the minister of propaganda an
| nounced that Parliament would never be
reconvened, but that a new constitution.
providing a corporate state on the italian
model would be drawn up. This was the
high-water mark of the dictatorship.
Democracy was not forgotten, however.
and popular pressure was exerted on the
President to consult the electorate. He
yielded, and in February, 1886, plebiscite
was held, in which it was decidedly
472,000 votes to $4,000 votes-to end the
dictatorship.
The government took its time, however,
about putting the peoples mandate into
force. 1t was only on January /, 1888, that
the new constitution, providing complete
civil rights, went into effect. 1t guarantees
freedom of religion. inviolability Of the
home and the right Of every citizen to
work. Members of a new Assembly were
elected individually and not as party rep
resentatives-and legislative work will begin
in the near future.
Ulmanis Relnquishes Power
In Latvia the writing on the wall was
first seen by Harlis Ulmanis, President and
Premier He is the strong man of the
country, and was dictator from May, 1885
(when he disbanded Parliament, imposed
martial law and established an authorita-
rian government, until March, 1888, when
martial law was repealed. President VI.
manis now processes faith in the ultimate
victory Of democracy, with which he be-
came acquainted in the United States On
the wall of his study he displays the
scarlet-and-cream pennant of the Uni
versity of Nebraska, Of which he Is An
slumnus
It was more than a quarter of q CEN
tury ago that young Ulmanis, bounded by
the dreaded Ochrana political police) of
Czarist Russia, as an incorrigible nationalist
revolutionary, took a boat for America He
went as far as Lincoln, Nebr.. where he
entered the agricultural department of
the university. There he learned American
methods of dairying, which stood him in
good stead after his return to his native
country. Latvia became an Independent
nation; the Russians were gone. He was
ruler Of his state when it was founded and
is in power on its goth anniversary.
In Latvia, too, dictatorship had been set
up on the ground that the spread of ex-
tren1ist ideas neoessitated such a move
There the supporters of Nazi-ism appeared
as members Of the National Guard" 'New
Latvia" and "Fehrenkrust" organizations.
The government put them out of business,
but they blossomed forth rs the Baltic
Legion" with the word "virility" write
on their shields.
They demanded q place in the sun for
Latvia with as much vehemence, although
not as much volume, as did the German
and Italian Fascists. On May 1e. 1884, Mr..
Ulmanis dismissed the Diet, proclaimed =
state Of emergency, had the opposition
leaders arrested and declared that the ex-
ecutive power would exercise legislative
functions He was on the road to DICTATOR
ship. Not long ago he was reported to
have described democracy as q stronger
force than dictatorship, based as it is upon
intelligent mass cooperation rather than
upon an unresisting acceptance Of superior
force.
Lithuania Joining Democracy.
Lithuania. the southernmost Baltic
country, is also on the way to joining the
democratic bloc of nations. A special ses-
sion of the Legislature met on January
20 and approved the new constitution,
,i,y, Snxo a%o E>J,
when the Goth anniversary celebrations be-
gan. Legislative power is vested in q
Constituent Assembly of 112 members,
elected on the basis Of universal suffrage.
Lithuania's dictatorial period began
about IL years ago. when Antona Sme-
tona sized power through an army coup
detat. He still is President Of the coun-
try Dictatorship became an issue on
June s, 1894, when Augustus Woldemaras,
q former premier, led his Iron Wolf
group Of Nazi-supported extremists against
the government. Eleven days later he was
sentenced to IL years of hard labor. A
few days ago he was on his way to
France, free man. His coup was q
result Of deep-seated dissatisfaction, caused
PssASAJ ~ sAaC CSoAAOhkAC CAAoAS &LQ Q6ILly
by Fascist agitation
The government decided to fight IRE
with dre. The constitution was suspended,
and martial law was imposed. But today
President Smetona has come to realize
the superior qualities OF democracy in Z
country sorely beset by troubles ON an
sides. The most serious Of them Is his
country's relations with Poland.
At the end Of March Worldwide atten-
ton was directed to Lithuapia because OF
Poland's ultimatum, demanding the resto-
ration of normal diplomatic relations which
were severed in 1920, when the Polish
general, zeligowsd, seized wilma, or VII
MUS, as the Lithuanians call the capital
Of their country. Lthuania refused to
recognize the coup and the two counties
were virtually in state Of war. No rail-
way trains, automobiles, airplanes. teie-
phone or telegraph wires crossed their
No Mans Land" frontier.
Poland,s efforts to have vilnas occupa-
ton recognized failed until shs underlined
them with IA ultimat,in. backed hg .