Evening star., 1940-06-17
Russians Reported
Beginning 10 Occupy
Latvia and Estonia
Two More Baltic Stotes
Yield to UItimatums
For Free Possoee
BY the Associated P.ess.

and Estonia today, the Dagens
Nyheter correspondent from Berlin
reported today, when Red Army
contingents entered Latvia.
Estonia also was reported to have
accepted Russian demands per-
mitting Red Army troops to occupy
certain Estonian centers.
Soviet Russia. with her Red Army
already in full occupation OF
Lithuania, sent twin ultimatums to
Latvia and Estonia, the Finnish
newspaper Helsinki Sanomat said
1t had learned last night.
Meanwhile, Russian troops and
large air forces were reported by
Reuters-British news agency
In dispatch to London, to be
still arriving in Lithuania last
night. This dispatch said ne
gotiations for formation of q
new government were meeting
with difficulties. Minister Of the
Interior Gen. Skucas and chief
of police had been arrested and
sent to prison, 1t was reported,
and War Minister Gen. Musteikis
was said to have resigned0
Soviet Seen Near War.
The Soviet Russian move into
Lithuania is interpreted in Kaunas
as the first step toward Soviet parti-
cipation In the European war and
further alterations" in status of
Baltic states will be made shortly,
according to reports published here.
Whatever the intent of Russia,
she has once more introduced her
self as the surprise factor In the
European tangle.
Llthuania was said by the news
paper Aftonbladet's correspondent
to have become since Saturday a
giant Russian military camp with
enormous troop formations tanks
and armored cars steadily streaming
over the border"
"The border is open,' he added,
land Russia can send as many
soldiers as 1t wants. It seems to
be at least half million men"
Meanwhile, Lithuania was at
tempting to form a new government
satisfactory to Moscow in accord
ance with the Russian ultimatum.
President Antanas Smetona and
other high officials fed by plane,
either to Germany or Sweden.
Prime Minister Antanas Merkys,
fulfilling the duties of president at
least temporarily, said in a radio
address that he was convinced"
that the arrival of fresh Soviet
troops in Lithuania occurred solely
for the purpose of guaranteeing
both for Russia and Lithuania
greater security"
Merkys asked the police to main
tain law and order with the coming
OF this friendly and allied army"
Berlin Believed Told in Advance.
A dispatch from Berlin, published
here, said it was felt that Soviet
intentions were known to the Ger
mans in advance"
Aftonbladet declared the Lith-
uanian issue was obviously forced
after German occupation of Paris"
and after French and British min
listers conferred with Vyacheslaff
Molotoff, premier-foreign commissar
of Russia.
The Stockholm newspaper Alle-
handa carried a dispatch from Ber-
lin saying that opinion there was
rather reserved but the quick adj
vance of the Russians in the Baltic
was not exactly welcomed in Berlin. !"
Lithuania and East Prussia border
each other.
Some Kaunas observers took this
view, Aftonbladet reported:
THE Russian invasion of Lith-
uania is the Soviet's first step to
enter a war which perhaps will lead
to a great social revolution in Eu-
rope. 1t is declared openly that
Russia can force Great Britain and
France into new state system with
new governments.
Then, perhaps, it can enter the
war with the Allies, Rumania, Bull
garia and Yugoslavia.
Some point out that Prime Min
lister Churchill has declared the
Allies have yet a trump card. Peo-
pie in Lithuania are very excited
The emigration of $4,000 Germans
is expected"
Little Concern in Axis Capitals,
Generally, however, the possibil-
lty OF such chain of developments
seemed fantastic, in view of the
Russian German non aggression
pact, and reports yesterday from
italian and German officialdom in
dicated no great concern over the
Russian move into Lithuania.
In Rome, particularly, it was
pointed out that Italy had no inter-
est in the Baltic area.
Developments in the Baltic area
were such that the few hundred
Swedish residents of Odinsholm, an
Estonian island, were hastily re-
moved, with the help of the Eston-
Ian government, and moved in two
barges to Worniso, another Estonian
possession, where there is no Rus
sian garrison.
Russia to Get More