Evening star., 1939-12-15
STAR WASHINGTON D. c. FRIDAY DECEMBER 49,
U. 5. May Be Forced
To Close Legations
lin Baltic Nations
Growing Russionizution
Couses Uneusiness
Of OfficioIs Here
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Accustomed though they are to
seeing American Embassies and Le-
cations eliminated In one country
after another, officials face with un-
easiness the same prospect in three
more countries-Latvia, Lithuania
and Estonia.
Perhaps there may be a fourth,
Finland, II the Russian steamroller
breaks through the vaNantly de-
Tended Finnish lines.
Information is reaching the Gov
ernment that the few shreds of
independence remaining to the three
smaller Baltic nations, after their
acceptance of Russia's demands, are
gradually vanishing.
1t is only few months since the
foreign ministers or representatives
of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia
journeyed sadly to Moscow and
signed on the sword-traced line,
permitting Russian troops to enter
their countries to establish air and
naval bases.
Nominally they remain independ-
ent. Actually their whole foreign
policy is now directed from the
Kremlin. Their domestic policies
and administrations are careful to
follow the wishes of Moscow.
Moving to Other Side.
And, according to information
reaching here, officials of the three
governments, who might otherwise
have striven for their national free
dom, are rapidly moving over to
the stronger-the Russian-side.
Russia has not found 1t necessary
to incorporate the Baltic nations
into her system, because they have
become, to all intents and purposes
a part of it. In the opinion Of some
informed observers here, Russia is
waiting until she completes the con.
quest of Finland before making
provinces, or a province, of the
three Baltic countries. Meanwhile
they are useful in her invasion o1
Finland.
Such being the case, some officials
believe it is only question Of time, q
short time, before the State De.
partment will have to review it.
representation in the Baltic states
So far no change has been made
The legations continue to function
although there is no foreign policy
among the Baltic nations to report
about. But the growing Russian
ization Of the Baltic may force thu
closing of the legations.
The United States now has two
Ministers functioning in that region
Owen C. J. Norem, at Kaunas
Lithuania, and John C. Wiley a
Riga, handling both Latvia ane
Estonia. Mr.. Wiley will be remem.
bered as the Charge d'Affaires al
| Vienna when the Germans came ir
and the American Legation to Aus.
tria had to be eliminated.
Attitude Toward United States.
If Russia completely absorbs thu
Baltic states. she is expected here
to include them in the policy al.
ready emphasized in the U. S. S. r.
permission for foreign representa-.
tives, diplomatic or consular, tt
function in Moscow and nowhere
else.
Russias attitude toward tn,
United States Is being followed by
American officials with curiosity
The American Government ha.
taken steps in recent days to indi.
cate its sympathy with Finland
Credits, Red Cross aid, national col
lections, refusal to accept war-deb
payments and the like are bringing
material assistance to Finland
while a moral embargo on the ship
ment Of war materials to Russi,
and blunt statements by the Presi