Evening star., 1941-09-22
DepIores Fate
Of BuItic Nations
Plight of Estonio, Lotviu
And lithuunio Now Held
By German Armies
Bv Blair BOlleS.

DS DtA' DNttSo'
This week brings a sad anniversary.
Two years ago, September g. the gov
ernment of Estonia insured its death by
signing the treaty with Russia which
gave to the Soviet the military privilege
Of using Estonian bases. 1t was the step
which led to the downfall of the Baltic
republics, the three innocents, Estonia,
Latvia and Lithuania. First Russian
bases, they later became Russian prov
inces, Sovietized and terrorized. Now
the Germans hold them, and this sum-
mer they have been battlefield. AS the
advance German armies hammer at
Leningrad and push toward the Don,
these one-time tiny strongholds of lib
erty suffer not alone conquest at home
but run the danger of being forgotten
abroad at time when the worlds battle
is being fought over terrain to the east
of them. Yet if freedom is to prevail,
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania should
survive.
For the present the Baltic foe is Ger
many, whose Nazi government has desig-
mated the three countries as one "Ost-
land" and set over them a gauleiter,
Heinrich Lohse. For Lithuana Berlin
has named a generalkommissar DR..
Adrian Won Renteln. The very designa-
ton "Ostland''-Eastland- irritating
to three peoples who hold themselves a
part of Western civilization. Lohse has
sought to soothe the Baltic peoples by
proclaiming the Germans as their de-
liverers from Bolshevism, but Latvia,
Lithuania and Estonia recall that Ger
many helped Russia move into the Baltic.
Berlin recognized special Russian in
terest in those sovereign republics in
the treaty that freed Germany for war
on Poland-the treaty of August %,
1899.
Although these countries are remote
from our own and small in territory as
we'll as slight in population, it was a
liberty bell that came from the United
States that pealed in Kaunus the night
OF June % last, when, as the Soviets de-
parted and the approaching Germans
were yet in the distance, insurgent
Lithuanians proclaimed a free provi-
sional government. A day later the Ger
man armies were in Kaunas and the gov
ernment's authority disappeared. Nazi-
f1ers replaced Sovietizers.
In July the Latvians revolted against
the Russians, and the Estonians followed.
For q while, apparently, those coun-
tries, after intense subjection to Russian
methods, saw intimations of the advent
of lberators in the news about the Ger
man advance. Instead of liberation they
received Lohse and his proclamation, in
which he said:
THE German administration must de-
mand that its orders be followed uncon-
ditionally, since they serve only this one
goal-the security of the country and
the security Of your life. = expect
the entire population to obey my orders
IN order to heal the severe wounds which
the Bolshevik world enemy has inflicted
on you. Only then will culture and well
fare again arise in the future; only then
will you be able to live in peace. The
German Reich gives you this possibility.
1t now rests with you to make use of it."
The infliction of the severe wounds"
mentioned by Lohse began some time
after the three countries concluded
treaties with Russia permitting the Sow
let use of Baltic bases. Moscow annexed
the republics July 81, 1910, after new par
llamentS were chosen in elections where
Russians and Russian agents counted
the ballots. The new parliaments gave
the countries to Russia, and Russia de-
ported'or executed the old political lead
ers, outlawed the church, collectivized
the farming and, in short, took all the
steps necessary to bring the three Baltic
republics into the framework of the
Bolshevik experiment.
Since 1899 many countries have been
overrun by big, wicked neighbors, but the
Baltic republics carry a peculiar burden
! They were victimized first by a nation
whose friendship the Western democra-
cies now value, and for the moment. on
| that account, they themselves apparent
| ly suffer from lack of friends. Their
present complaint is embarrassing to
those quarters whose every move since
| the war began has been attended by
moral protestations of interest in the
welfare of small countries, and whose
slide toward war began when it ignored
| the cry of small nation, Czecho-Slo-
vakia. London does not hear Estonia
Latvia and Lithuania today because their
future as free states involves separation
from Russia, carrying the democratic
ball for the time being.
In this way do pragmatic necessities
sometimes obscure ideals. With Poland,
since the outbreak of the Russo German
| war, Russia has made arrangements for
Polish independence. But nobody has
taken a diplomatic step for the rebirth
of the Baltic republics. The Estonian,
Latvian and Lithuanian diplomatic prob
lem centers around the fact that those
countries have no exile governments
Polish independence was arranged in
London, where Poland has government
The Latvian and Lithuanian Ministers
in London have drawn it to the British
attention that the former Baltic presi-
| dents are Russian prisoners and have
suggested that the presidents be freed,
permitted to travel to England and there
be allowed to set up exile governments
which England could recognize.
For the record, the chosen govern
| mentS of EStonia Latyia and Iithuana